Kallen Stadtfeld, Countess of Britannia
by Forthwith16
Summary: Kallen left Japan with her father before the Second Pacific War erupted. In Britannia she found new friends, made a home for herself, and soon came to a startling revelation: deep down, she was more Britannian than Japanese. Events spiral from there. (Has a TV Tropes page!)
1. R0 S01 - New Friends Across the Pacific

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round Zero  
Stage 01 - New Friends Across the Pacific

 **Stadtfeld Residence  
Hinode, Japan  
March 30, 2009 a.t.b.**

Kallen snuggled into her bed with her plush bunny, one nearly as big as she was – bigger if one counted the ears. It was soft enough to cuddle with and yet firm enough to provide support for spending a lazy afternoon on one's side.

"No one must ever know," Kallen murmured. _Best birthday ever._

A knock came at the door. Kallen's eyes shot open, and she promptly kicked her rabbit off of her bed. It landed on the floor with a muted flump, and there it stayed, very definitely not telling of where it'd been just moments prior.

"Come in!"

The door opened to reveal Naoto, Kallen's much older brother. While she had inherited almost all of her father's looks with her red hair, light-blue eyes, and her distinctly Britannian facial features, Naoto clearly reflected their mother, Minami Stadtfeld. He had her brown hair, her brownish-blue eyes, and most of all, his face showed his Japanese heritage with even the most passing of glances.

Naoto himself spared a brief glance at the as of yet unnamed plush bunny, thankfully not saying a word about it. "Still exhausted?"

"No, of course not. What's up?"

It was a very sceptical Naoto who said, "Mum and Dad need to talk to you." Rather solemnly, he added, "It's important."

Kallen sat up, her legs hanging over the side of her bed, and nodded, worried. Where had her carefree brother gone tonight? She followed him out of her room, down the stairs, and eventually into the sitting room of their small manor. There she found both Minami and her father, Reese Stadtfeld, waiting for the two of them with hands held and fingers entwined. Despite their obvious effort, each wore a worried frown.

As Kallen took a seat opposite her parents with Naoto following soon after, she asked, "What's going on?"

"Politics," Reese said. His tone reflected how unhappy he was with that answer despite being somewhat of a politician himself as an earl of Britannia. "We've been avoiding this for as long as we could, but now that your birthday has gone by…"

Minami picked up the thread of conversation. "Your father and I have talked it over, and we've decided to leave the decision up to you."

"What about?" Kallen tentatively asked.

While both of their parents appeared very uncomfortable while trying to find the right words, Naoto rather frankly said, "You know how the other kids at school haven't been very nice to you lately?"

Kallen nodded, averting her gaze from her parents' reaction. They had probably suspected, but she had never said anything.

"Relations between Japan and Britannia have been souring rapidly since Britannia invaded the Indochinese Peninsula. There's talk of Japan aligning with the EU and the Chinese Federation, although I don't know how far down the rabbit hole that'll go."

"What Naoto hasn't mentioned," Reese said, "is that Britannian nobles currently residing here in Japan have been quietly told to leave the country. While that doesn't _necessarily_ mean a war is coming, there's danger on the horizon. Your mother and I" – Reese placed his arm around Minami's shoulders – "decided that it would be best for us to wait this out in our own countries. Like a long business trip, I suppose. If Britannia does start a war, I won't be safe here, and Minami won't be safe in Britannia with my…charming family nearby."

In the back of Kallen's mind, a few very old memories stirred. Although they had passed away very recently, she still held a grudge. "Aren't your parents the ones who called me a–"

Naoto covered Kallen's mouth with a hand.

Meanwhile, Minami spoke over Kallen, although her voice was weak and she clung tighter to Reese the longer she continued. "Kallen, Sweetheart, you'll be much safer if you leave with your father. We've worked out an agreement with the rest of the Stadtfelds which would let you stay with him without all the kerfuffle they usually raise. It'll be very different from here, though. Britannia…has a very different culture, as you know. It's your choice. You can stay here with me, or you can leave with your father."

It finally hit Kallen that she was being asked who she wanted to live with – and live with without the other for a long time. She had holidayed in Britannia a few times with her family, but they had never lingered for long. Almost all of her life had been spent in Japan; besides Britannian movies, books, and games, the Land of the Rising Sun was really all she knew. English _did_ happen to be her first language, but she used Japanese just as much most days, sometimes even more.

To say Kallen was stunned at having to make such a monumental decision would be like saying Britannia was a large nation. While true in the strictest meaning of the word, it completely misrepresented the sheer magnitude.

Tugging lightly on the sleeve of his shirt, Kallen asked, "Naoto, where are you going?"

Naoto wore a sad smile as he said, "I'm staying with Mum. I've almost finished school here, and unlike you, no one would ever mistake me for a true Britannian."

Well, that decided it, then. "I wanna stay with…"

Kallen trailed off as a terribly profound thought struck her, or at least she so considered it.

 _I want to stay with Mum and Naoto, and Gran and Grandpa. But…_ Kallen looked from her brother to her mother before her gaze finally landed on the one person in the room who really needed her. _Who would stay with Dad? He doesn't like his aunts and uncles and cousins anymore than me. His awful parents are gone, but he'd still be all alone with people who don't like him._

"I… I want to go with Dad."

Reese and Minami looked to each other, sharing some silent conversation meant for only them. Perhaps but a second later, Reese rose from his seat to collect Kallen into his arms. She made a bit of a fuss, being too old to be held like that, but she eventually relented. It was only the four of them here, after all.

"Are you sure, Kallen?" Reese asked. "You don't have to decide right away, but you do have to be sure. We'd be burning more than a few bridges once we'd left. It wouldn't be easy to come back."

Kallen nodded. This might be the harder path for her, but it also felt right. It felt like she was doing the right thing both for herself and for her dad. No one should _have_ to be alone.

"I'm sure."

That sad little smile everyone around Kallen had been wearing off and on came back onto Reese's face, but she only got to see it for a moment before she found herself locked in a hug, one that quickly grew to encompass Naoto and Minami as well.

A strange feeling overtook Kallen. She affirmed her resolve to be there for her dad to provide the same warm, comforting feeling she had right now. Despite the unavoidable fact that they would be surrounded by a veritable horde of gits who shared the same last name, they would be together.

Beneath that, though, there was a certainty in Kallen of one thing in particular: she had just radically altered her future. To what, who knew?

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Britannia  
May 22, 2009 a.t.b.**

Regret was the wrong word. Despite more than a few nasty surprises, Kallen did not regret leaving Japan with her dad for Britannia. She even managed to find some humour in the less savoury consequences.

Her parents' divorce – in law, if not in spirit – had by far been what had floored Kallen the most, and she knew it was all her fault. For her to be here with her father, for her to be the Stadtfeld heiress in the absence of no other 'proper' heir, her parents had been forced to both separate and cease contacting each other despite being obviously still in love. Of course, it was terribly easy to flout such restrictions given modern technology, but it was the spirit of the matter that sparked a smoldering guilt in Kallen.

The glorious comeuppance, however, came after. As expected, Reese had further come under pressure to remarry with a Britannian noblewoman in order to beget a proper, pure Britannian heir. He had invited Kallen along 'to observe' the ensuing meeting. For hours, she had glowered silently at the rest of the Stadtfeld family, who had ignored her, while her dad had only seemed to grow more and more amused.

And then when Kallen had thought her – she still loathed the mere idea – step-mother had been decided upon, Reese had stood up and announced that he had been in a terrible 'accident' and was sterile. After delivering a two-finger salute, the pair had left hand in hand to get ice cream. Just thinking about it inflicted Kallen with another case of the giggles.

Sure, it had taken Reese a month longer than anticipated to consolidate control over the domestic family holdings and to defang the other Stadtfelds, but as far as Kallen was concerned, it had been worth it. She would gladly suffer a few more weeks of lonely suppers just to see the look on her aunts', uncles', and cousins' faces again.

Yes, regret was the wrong word. Regret was what she would have felt if she had left her dad alone. Endure worked much better. Kallen _endured_ the quiet scorn and simmering anger of her Britannian relatives. She _endured_ the casual feelings of superiority most people she met exuded. She _endured_ having to formally learn rules and customs she had somewhat already picked up from her dad.

But most of all, Kallen _was enduring_ a soirée celebrating Britannia's latest victory in the Indochinese Peninsula, one apparently so great that even children were permitted and encouraged to attend the festivities. And that, unfortunately, included young girls such as Kallen who had yet to have their debutante ball. It was very much an invitation one did not refuse, as much as she wished otherwise.

From the conversations Kallen had overheard while moving about and trying to avoid attention, there was already a great deal of debate and gossip over who would be named as viceroy for Area Ten – rather presumptive, that, considering how far Britannia still had left to go before claiming a final victory. More than once, Kallen had been tempted to kick a particularly obnoxious git in the knee, but her dress put a prompt end to such thoughts each time before they could ever be taken seriously.

Perhaps, then, it was only natural that Kallen eventually found a pair of girls approximately her own age who – much more openly – appeared to find all this distasteful. A sense of envy briefly passed through her that these girls were able to be so transparent while _she_ had to hide herself amongst popular opinion to keep anyone from looking too deeply into her background.

Kallen shook off the fleeting feeling of resentment. It was hardly _their_ fault both of her homelands treated her poorly – or would, rather, in the case of Britannia, if her mother's identity were ever uncovered. In fact, if she were to guess, she might go so far as to say that these two might not even care about her mixed heritage if she told them.

Of course, it was entirely possible that Kallen had misread the two girls. Perhaps they simply disliked socialising or formal affairs. There was really only one way to know.

Thus was it that Kallen cautiously approached the two girls to sound them out. The taller and older of the two had long pink hair that, were it not partially tied up in a pair of small buns beside her ears, would reach down past her waist. Her eyes matched the girl beside her, both pairs a striking violet that Kallen had never seen before.

As far as Kallen could tell from having observed them for a few minutes from afar, the younger girl's vivid and expressive attitude stood in contrast to the elder's more mellow behaviour. Although her brown hair also fell past her neck, it was barely longer than Kallen's own, which stopped just an inch or two above her shoulders. Kallen hesitated to call the pair sisters, but they were probably related in some manner. Either way, the pair clearly knew each other well.

And now came the awkward part: introductions. In Japan, all Kallen had to do was walk up to someone and start talking. Here, though, there were protocols and understood social conventions that she very much _did not_ understand – not yet, at least. She was reasonably sure that one was supposed to be introduced _by_ someone, especially so for women, but the only person who could do that for her was her dad, and he was off partaking in business. Still, she would try her best.

With a curtsy that her tutors had dubbed 'acceptable', Kallen said, "Good evening. I'm Kallen Stadtfeld."

If she had made any grievous errors so far, neither girl called her on it. They merely looked to each other for a moment before returning the gesture. The pink one – her dress was as pink as her hair – spoke first.

"Good evening, Lady Kallen. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. What brings you to our little corner of the festivities, if I may ask?"

Kallen bit her tongue before she could start nervously rambling. When she was ready, she said, "I'm not much one for…these sorts of parties." She _had_ been about to say 'celebrating subjugation' before she stopped herself. "I don't mean to offend, but you two looked to be equally unenthused at being here. I was hoping I could" – _not play,_ Kallen reminded herself – "pass the time in your company."

"I wouldn't mind," the pink girl said. She turned to look at her friend, who nodded.

"Sounds like fun! I don't get many opportunities to make friends my age."

Kallen smiled and silently took a deep breath. This had gone much better than she had both feared and expected.

"It's the same for me," Kallen said. _Or at least it is now that I'm homeschooled._ "It's nice to meet you…"

Both girls showed a flash of surprise in their expressions, although the elder quickly schooled her features while the younger adopted a mischievous smile. The former asked, "You don't know who we are, do you?"

Fearing she had broken some secret rule, Kallen quickly said, "No, sorry. To be honest, I don't know very many people here."

"Oh, nevermind that," the younger girl said as she latched onto Kallen's arm. "I'm Nunnally, and that's Euphie."

"Euphemia, actually," the other girl said, "but either or as you prefer. I know Nunnally won't wait for permission" – said girl's grin only grew at the accusation – "but would it be too presumptive to refer to you as simply Kallen?"

Reminding herself that this was not Japan and that there were different rules here, Kallen said, "No, of course not."

"Well then, Kallen," Nunnally said, leading her by the arm, "let's go find someplace more fun."

With that short and simple statement, Kallen found herself being led out into Exelica Garden further inside the Imperial Palace after being reassured that, 'It's fine. No, really. No one will bother us.' When Euphemia concurred with Nunnally, Kallen decided to just listen to the two girls who obviously knew more about being nobility than her.

What followed from there, Kallen could _easily_ classify as _the_ most surreal day of her life. Somehow, and she could barely believe her own memory at times, she ended up playing tag of all things with two other noble girls inside the Imperial Palace's garden – a garden the size of a small city – in a dress unsupervised while at a formal party celebrating a major military victory.

 _And then_ when Kallen had slipped on a patch of mud into the _lake_ , unintentionally dragging Nunnally in with her, the three of them went to change into more casual clothes that Euphemia, the dry one, had left to retrieve. Once they had, it apparently became time to go horseback riding, or more accurately, it became time to teach Kallen how to not fall off.

All in all, today had gone from tedious and annoying to what was by far the best day Kallen had had since moving to Britannia. In all honesty, it might have even been one of the most fun days of her life.

Unfortunately, days ended.

As awkward as Kallen had felt first introducing herself, she now faced an entirely new problem: staying in contact. She had two bloody friends in the entire country and _was not_ about to lose them to something as petty as mere distance, which could be very large considering the size of Britannia. In Japan, or at least with the types of children she had hung out with, the one and only answer was to pull out your phone and trade information. She had hers, naturally. She _always_ had it with her except, fortunately, when accidentally falling into lakes while playing tag.

However, it seemed that Lady Luck had decided to smile upon Kallen today. Euphie, as Kallen had been slowly baited into calling the girl, held out her hand and asked, "Could I borrow your phone?"

"Sure!" Kallen reached into the hidden pocket of her now dry dress and handed off her phone shortly after.

Euphie turned the screen on and set to work doing whatever it was she needed to get done, hopefully adding her number to Kallen's phonebook. After a little less than a minute, Kallen noticed her eyes widening for just a moment, but the expression was gone the next second as if it had been no more than a trick of the light.

For an instant, Kallen feared the language settings on her phone had reverted to Japanese, but considering how easily Euphie continued to work, she rather doubted it. Whatever it was that had surprised Euphie was apparently given no further attention.

Once Euphie had next handed off the phone to Nunnally, she said, "I sent an email to myself if you want to talk again later."

"I'd love to," Kallen said.

"Wonderful. I can only assume Nunnally is doing the same."

"Yep. Aaaand done." Nunnally handed Kallen's phone back.

"I don't suppose you live at all near Pendragon, do you? New York, perhaps?"

Kallen nodded, saying, "Well, my dad _is_ the Earl of New York." – the district, of course, not the shire.

"We'll have to meet up again sometime soon, then," Euphie said. "Oh, please don't let our email addresses leak. It's always a pain to change them."

While Kallen had never had that particular problem, she readily agreed. That _did_ sound like a particularly grating activity. _I suppose I could actually bother to set up the security on my phone._

Lastly, Euphie leaned forward to conspiratorially whisper, "You'll want to change Nunnally's information in your contact list. It defaults to something utterly ridiculous."

"Hey!" Nunnally latched onto Euphie and pulled her back. "Don't you dare, Kallen."

Not really sure what to expect, Kallen decided to simply humour Nunnally. "I wouldn't think of it."

And with that, Kallen nearly skipped off to find her dad after exchanging final goodbyes. As much as she missed her mother and brother, tonight had been like something out of a dream.

"Well, _someone_ looks like she had a good time," Reese said, having found Kallen first. "Make any friends?"

Kallen turned and smiled up at her dad. She barely restrained herself from rambling off everything in public in her eagerness to share. Once they were outside and finding their way to where their chauffeur would pick them up, her restraint broke.

"I met two girls my age, Euphie and Nunnally. We left the party to go play in the garden."

"I didn't realise the garden was open to guests," Reese said thoughtfully.

"Neither did I, but no one stopped us. We walked right by a bunch of guards."

"Well, so long as you enjoyed yourself instead of sulking all night."

"Dad!" Kallen kept her whine quiet. "A lady doesn't sulk."

Chuckling, Reese looked down at Kallen with what was clearly a humouring smile. "And this is my little girl who mere months ago enjoyed playing in the mud with the boys."

Kallen rolled her eyes. She had _never_ played in the mud as an end onto itself, but she _had_ possessed a tendency to get rather dirty when, for example, playing the beautiful game the day after a rainstorm.

"If you _must_ know," Kallen said, adopting a faux haughty tone, "I _did_ get muddy tonight when we were playing tag."

"In a dress?"

"Tonight was weird," Kallen offhandedly commented. She then added, "But in a good way. I kind of pulled Nunnally into the garden's lake with me. Euphie was able to get us a spare set of clothes to change into while ours were cleaned, though. We went horseback riding after that. Well, Euphie and Nunnally tried to teach me. I did alright near the end."

"Sounds like fun. As long as you have someone supervising you, we do have a stable at home if you want to practice more. It's a bit of a walk from the manor, but it's not too far."

That sounded like an excellent idea, and Kallen said as such. From the way Euphie and Nunnally rode, it appeared to be a common activity for them, if perhaps as no more than a mode of transportation. Kallen had no intention of being the odd one out when it came to that.

"Euphie and Nunnally said they both live in Pendragon." Or at least that was the obvious guess, given how Euphie had asked where Kallen lived; neither had ever said exactly where they resided. "Could I visit them or them us sometime?"

"If they're willing, I don't see any problem with it. If nothing else, it'd be no more than a day trip by helicopter or aeroplane. Well, assuming you got up early and went to bed late. Of course, you could just spend the night with them or they with us."

Kallen let out a quiet squeal of excitement. It had been _far_ too long since she'd been able to spend time with actual friends in person. Arriving at their limo for the short ride to the airport, she hopped inside with her dad following soon after. When she finally got home and to her room, it was only when she got under the covers of her bed that she realised how completely knackered she was, promptly falling asleep within seconds.

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
May 23, 2009 a.t.b.**

The sun shone all the brighter this morning, as did Kallen's mood as she got ready for the day after having a rather long lie in. Sure, she would once more have to endure the often tedious lessons on etiquette and everything else a Britannian heiress had to know on top of regular schoolwork after the weekend, but for now, Saturday beckoned.

Kallen picked up her phone from where she had left it charging last night and turned it on. She had a few messages from her few close friends back in Japan as well as one from Naoto, and she answered those first, but the one email she really wanted to see had already come. Her eyes immediately picked out the names 'Euphemia' and 'Nunnally', the latter of whom was the initial sender, before she started reading.

'Hey, Kallen!' said girl read. 'If you're free next weekend, you should come visit me and meet my brother, Lelouch. I think you'll like him, or if not, I'll at least find his and your antics amusing. He's such a drama queen and so strong headed. I could see you two getting into rows.'

Rolling her eyes, Kallen stopped to consider exactly what she was being accused of. But really, she supposed she could admit to being a bit wilful at times, too.

'Oh, but hands off. He's mine.'

Euphie had responded after that. 'Nunnally, I've told you a thousand times. You can't marry your brother. Besides, _he's mine_.'

'If I can't marry him,' came Nunnally's reply, 'then neither can you, so there. He's mine.'

'Uh-huh. Sure, he is.'

The argument went on for an embarrassingly long time. If nothing else, Kallen supposed it did tell her that those two were, in fact, closely related. Of course, she had no intention of supporting either one in their silly incestuous conflict. She refused to touch that one with a ten foot pole; they would grow out of it on their own, she was sure.

Finally, the last response was from Euphie. 'Sorry you had to see that. Anyway, my sister should be around Nunnally's villa that weekend, as usual, so you can meet her, too. She might not have a whole lot of time for us, though. Apologies in advance if our bickering caused your phone to wake you up.'

No, that had not happened. Kallen usually kept her phone on vibrate only all day, let alone at night. She mentioned that as she made her own reply. She would have to ask her dad first, but she had nothing else planned for next weekend as far as she knew.

Remembering something Euphie had told her last night, Kallen opened up her email again and looked for Nunnally's contact information. What she found _was_ ridiculous, so much so, even, that she mumbled it aloud as she read.

"Her Imperial Highness the Princess Nunnally vi Britannia, Sixth Princess of the Realm, Long May She Reign."

Despite herself, Kallen snickered. _I think I'll leave it as is._

And then Kallen noticed that Euphie was listed as Euphemia li Britannia. That was when she realised exactly why Euphie and Nunnally had been surprised to hear that she had had no idea who they were at first. She bolted out of the room, her door slamming open.

"Dad!"

Reese, who Kallen had discovered in the dining hall eating brunch with today's newspaper, turned his attention to Kallen. "Yes?"

"Euphie and Nunnally are princesses!" That fact invoked no surprise in her father. "You knew! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I'd assumed some subset of you three were hiding it for some reason. I thought it wise not to interfere with your budding friendship. I know _I_ liked to keep secrets from my parents at your age."

"Oh." Kallen could appreciate that. "Um…thanks?"

"How did this revelation come about, then, if they didn't tell you?"

That reminded Kallen of what she had originally needed to talk to her dad about. "They invited me over to…er…Nunnally's villa."

"I would assume they mean Aries Palace," Reese helpfully provided.

"Right… Anyway, they invited me over next weekend."

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
May 30, 2009 a.t.b.**

Aries 'Villa', as both Euphie and Nunnally referred to it, looked absolutely gorgeous from above on the flight in, and all two minutes Kallen had seen of it from near ground level promised an equally delectable feast for the eyes. Between the lush foliage of all colours surrounding the palace, the lake and river, the forest untouched by man, the sculptures, fountains, and the actual palace itself, this was exactly what Kallen thought of when she pictured a luxurious country retreat for royalty.

Once the blades had stopped and she was given the all clear, Kallen hopped out of the helicopter her dad apparently casually kept around the manor. Waiting a short walk in front of her was a woman who Kallen held no qualms in labelling as Cornelia, Euphie's much older sister. They had the same eyes, the same face ten or so years apart, and the same lithe frame that Kallen had discovered, after some research, half the imperial family had, the other half possessing the same imposing bulk as the emperor. Her hair was a darker shade of pink, though, more violet in truth. She had on a white top with red pants and a matching red cape, all with a sword dangling from her waist.

Kallen hesitated just a moment before nervously approaching the literal warrior princess. She was _Euphie's_ sister, after all. It would be a crime against the universe if she were not at least half as kind.

Although, that said, Euphie had _a lot_ of brothers and sisters, most of whom Kallen did not and would not approve of. And then, of course, there was the emperor, her father.

Kallen pushed those thoughts to the side. Unlike with Euphie and Nunnally, Kallen was spared the awkwardness of introducing herself, as Cornelia was the first to speak.

"Welcome to Aries Villa. Lady Kallen Stadtfeld, I presume."

"Yes, thank you. Princess Cornelia?"

"Indeed. Now as my mother can't be bothered with her children, nor would, of all people, my father, I find myself obligated to deliver the traditional threats myself."

Kallen unconsciously took a half-step back as Cornelia leaned toward her.

"Do not attempt to take advantage of my sister's kindness. She is not that naive, and I would run you through with my sword. Understood?"

"Y-yes!" Kallen squeaked.

And with that, Cornelia's expression brightened to what a stoic would call exuberance. "Excellent. I'll show you to them, then."

Stunned by the sudden change in mood, it took Kallen a few moments before she actually moved to follow after Cornelia. Hesitantly, yet perfectly intent on discovering what would happen, she asked, "Not going to threaten me on Nunnally's behalf?" while allowing just a bit of a teasing tone to enter her voice.

"No. For one, Marianne, her mother, is terrifying enough when provoked, and Lelouch is sharper than he has any right to be. Besides" – Kallen got the feeling Cornelia was smirking, and when she looked up, she found that she was right – "no one would befriend Nunnally unless they actually liked her. That girl is a menace."

Although she said that, Cornelia's own fondness for Nunnally came through loud and clear in her tone.

"Speaking of, Nunnally has been chattering about you at me nonstop when I'm _supposed_ to be overseeing the villa's security."

"Ah. Sorry."

"Nevermind that," Cornelia said, waving her hand dismissively. "If not you, then it'd be something else. At any rate, I know Lord Stadtfeld had been spending most of his time abroad until recently. I take it you grew up in Japan?"

"Yes…" This was really not the direction Kallen wanted this conversation to go. "We lived in Hinode not far away from Tokyo."

"I'm surprised you don't have an accent."

"Well, I mean, we only spoke English at home for the most part. Er, at all. And, um…"

Cornelia's hand came to rest on Kallen's shoulder, causing her to start and bite her tongue.

"Relax. You're in the home of the Commoner Empress, also known as the French Whore. No one here cares who your mother is. Well, no one cares where she's from, rather."

Freezing in place, rooted to the ground, Kallen stared up at Cornelia in some mixture of horror and hope.

"You're…not lying?" Kallen's voice came out weaker than she wanted it to.

"I don't see what the point would be."

Of all the people she could expect to accept her, even if she had played with idea when she first met Nunnally and Euphie, this defied belief. Members of Britannia's imperial family were _the last_ people Kallen had thought would give her so much as the time of day after discovering the other half of her heritage.

A smile slowly worked its way back onto Kallen's face. "How did you find out?"

"Euphie told me that your phone had a very convenient option to toggle the keyboard between English and Japanese. It wasn't hard for us to guess from there once we knew what we were looking at."

"Oh." Of all the dumb ways to be exposed, it was the bloody language button that did it. Still, it somehow had all worked out for the best. "I guess I won't be lending out my phone again in the future, then."

"Wise in any eventuality. We most likely would have found out anyway, however, but I will admit it was well hidden. I'm rather impressed."

As Cornelia and Kallen walked, the former turned onto a path that lead away from the palace and off into the woods. Kallen paid one last look to the building and the garden they had been walking through and followed after her down the winding path.

"I hesitate to ask," Cornelia began, "but how are you finding Britannia so far?"

Considering who she was talking to – Cornelia's last name was literally Britannia – Kallen paused a moment before asking, "Do you want me to be honest?"

Somehow, that resulted in Cornelia chuckling. She hummed her agreement.

"Okay. Well, I have mixed feelings. Everything that I originally liked about this country is still here but more accessible. I don't have to deal with importing books or sweets, Britannian videogames and such. And I don't have to deal with waiting for movies to be subtitled or dubbed when I'd rather just watch them as they were. I, uh… I actually can't stand J-pop. No one comments on my taste in music here. That's all great."

"But?"

Kallen gnawed on her lip as she tried to find the right words. "Well, there's the obvious. I'm glad I didn't leave my dad alone, but the rest of his side of the family would rather I not exist, and the feeling is mutual. But after that… Almost no one here knows that I'm half Japanese, but I can still…feel it. I mean, Japan was never perfect. It's also a bit…um…"

Cornelia helpfully provided, "Xenophobic? Ethnocentric?"

"Yeah, that. I think. I had my fair share of grief when I lived there. And it was getting worse at the end…" Kallen shook her head of whatever gloomy thoughts it had intended to send her way. "I sort of understand why, I guess. But it's _a lot_ worse here."

"It didn't used to be so bad," Cornelia said. "Perhaps I might make some sense of it for you. How familiar are you with Britannian history?"

"Somewhat."

"Have you read about King Alwin the First?" After a moment, Cornelia added, "The real one, I mean. Not the mythological hero king, Arthur, of six centuries later."

"I'm more familiar with _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ …"

Once Cornelia finished laughing, she said, "Best not speak of them to people here. The UK takes a very different view of its history than Britannia does."

After Kallen nodded, Cornelia then said, "As you might expect, Britannia has always been a very proud country. It all stems from King Alwin's reign. He not only forged a nation out of a mess of bickering tribes, he also led them to victory against the seemingly unstoppable Roman legions over and over again against both Caesar and Augustus, among others. He's such an icon that we, to this very day, date our calendar from his ascension to the throne. A.t.b. – ascension throne Britannia. It's hard not to feel unduly important when the rest of the world does, too.

"For centuries, we had an unblemished record of decisively repelling invaders. Our own invasions were always met with mixed results, but _no one_ gained a foothold on the isles for more than a week since the Romans. In truth, we were nationalists before nationalism existed."

Cornelia paused there, looking as if she had just swallowed a lemon. "And then came Washington's Rebellion. Although we won the decisive Siege of Yorktown, we only did so due to Benjamin Franklin's betrayal. It's unclear if we would have won otherwise, a fact that made everyone uneasy. Although it was an internal invasion, as one might say, we nearly lost. The blow to our pride was enormous."

"And then the Humiliation happened?" Kallen asked.

"The Humiliation of Edinburgh, yes. The world had entered the Age of Revolution, but Britannia remained unchanged until Napoleon won the Battle of Trafalgar. After being _the_ supreme naval power in the world since our victory over the Spanish Armada, our loss shocked us to the core. When Napoleon then marched on the Britannian Isles _and won_ , our people fled en masse to the New World, including the forcibly abdicated Queen Elizabeth the Third. As you might imagine, we were not happy."

Kallen chuckled at the understatement. Even a cursory glance over a Britannian history textbook covering that era would make that readily apparent. "I can understand that."

"We all do. Since that day, Britannia's unofficial motto became 'never again'. We do not forget. We do not bend. We do not yield."

"For no man," Kallen added, a smile forcing its way onto her lips.

"Yes, well, we also don't believe that the loss of a limb is a flesh wound." Although Cornelia came off a bit scoldingly, there was amusement in her tone and face. "Regardless, that's the source of our culture's seemingly endless disdain of everything not Britannian. It's a very easy mindset to fall into, and Father's social Darwinism hasn't exactly helped."

Just as Kallen was about to respond to that, she and Cornelia broke into a flower meadow. It gently sloped downward to a fast-moving, rocky stream. More importantly, though, Euphie and Nunnally were sitting in the middle of the clearing. Between them was a very disgruntled looking boy with flowers threaded through his straight but messy, black, ear length hair. Upon spotting Cornelia, his eyes widened in a clear plea to be rescued.

Regardless, Kallen broke off at a slow jog to join her friends. Euphie and Nunnally noticed her presence soon after, rising to join her in an unexpected group hug – not really her thing, but nothing to complain about.

After that, Nunnally pulled Kallen by the arm back to the boy who had somehow already managed to clear his hair. Despite Nunnally's obvious displeasure at that, she let go and turned her efforts to proudly showing off the boy.

"Kallen, I present to you my brother, His Imperial Highness and Chess Grandmaster, the Prince Lelouch vi–"

The boy in question pinched the bridge of his nose as Nunnally spoke, eventually deciding to interrupt. "I'm Lelouch. I hope it's a pleasure to meet a friend of my sister. You're not going to try to put more flowers in my hair, are you?"

After Kallen had smothered her laughter and smile behind a hand, she said, "I shouldn't think so. I'm more likely to push you into a lake." Lelouch quirked an eyebrow at that but otherwise ignored both it and Nunnally's ensuing giggles. "I'm Kallen."

Euphie was the next to speak. "And it appears you've already met my sister, Cornelia."

"Oh! Er, yes." Kallen felt a slight blush grace her face, only now remembering that she had run off in the middle of a conversation.

Cornelia, who had joined them at this point, said, "Yes, she has. I can see I'm not needed here, so you four have fun. I'll ask someone to bring you lunch if you're not back before noon, but be inside before dinner."

After the group agreed, Cornelia took her leave of them. Kallen, curious, then asked, "So what _exactly_ were you doing before I arrived?"

Lelouch immediately cut the other two off. "Absolutely nothing worth recalling."

"Uh-huh." There was little doubt Kallen would be hearing the details regardless in the near future. For now, though, there were less humiliating varieties of fun to be had.

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
May 31, 2009 a.t.b.**

Word choice made all the difference. Kallen was not lost. She was exploring. Yes, that was definitely correct.

Aries Palace was larger inside than Kallen had given it credit. Sure, she could find someone and ask for directions, but that would be admitting defeat. Besides, Euphie and Nunnally were still getting ready for the day and asleep respectively, and Kallen found the palace interesting enough to continue her aimless wandering.

Eventually, after opening and closing enough doors, Kallen stumbled upon an occupied room. Half the room was dedicated to what looked like a miniature theatre with comfortable seating for four adults or twice as many children. The other half consisted of shelves upon shelves of board games, many of which looked unopened. Lelouch was seated on one side of a very nice looking chessboard, apparently in the middle of a game with himself.

Lelouch noticed the sound of the door opening. "Oh, you're up."

Taking that as an invitation to enter, Kallen crossed the room to stand beside the board. "Yeah. Nunnally is still asleep, and Euphie is in the shower still, I think."

"She'll be there for a while, then," Lelouch said. "I don't know how she manages all that hair."

"It _is_ a lot of work. I stopped bothering with mine years ago." After Lelouch idly hummed and nodded, Kallen asked, "So what are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out where I went wrong in my last game with Schneizel."

 _The second prince?_ "Well, if you don't mean a practice game, I'd say it'd either be when you challenged him or accepted the challenge."

Kallen held up her hands in peace at Lelouch's glare. "I'm just saying he must have, like, ten times more experience than you do. Even I know the game is mostly about memorising board positions and what works best in each situation. At least on the professional level."

Rather begrudgingly, Lelouch admitted that Kallen had a point. "That doesn't invalidate the skill aspect."

Kallen shrugged, not really caring one way or another. Chess was not her game. Besides, that was ultimately what everything in life came down to on some level, usually just with infinitely more pieces and choices.

"Anyway, I expect you wouldn't appreciate standing there watching me think and fiddle with pieces, much less me trouncing you at chess."

"You assume correctly, Your Highness," Kallen deadpanned. She noticed a smirk tugging at the ends of Lelouch's frown.

"Hmm… Cornelia mentioned at some point that you played videogames. I hear there's no quicker way to lose friendships than _Mario Kart_."

Kallen snickered as she said, "Bloody blue shells. I'm in."

As it turned out, the non-board game half of the room was set up to play, if not all, then just about every videogame ever made. As with the board games behind them, when Lelouch opened a cabinet containing old N64 games, most of the boxes were still sealed. A few were open, though, indicating that the games were not _just_ for show. _Mario Kart_ was among those unsealed.

A half-hour later, as one might have predicted, Kallen and Lelouch were as engrossed in throwing insults and curses at each other as in the actual game itself. Since everyone here apparently already knew her heritage, Kallen had even dipped into some of the more vulgar Japanese she knew along the way.

After one of Lelouch's bananas, of all things, sent her spinning off the map and from first to last, she glowered at him. "Doesn't this break some sort of royal code of conduct or something?"

Lelouch snorted. "All game consoles are not manufactured equal. There. I've fulfilled my daily quota of discrimination."

"You're horrible. You know that, right?"

"Yes," Lelouch proudly said. "Now–"

Kallen laughed, and laughed, and laughed as her lightning bolt returned the favour and sent Lelouch from first to nearly last. Sure, she was still too far behind to win, but now so was he.

"Was that _really_ necessary?"

With a very self-satisfied smile, Kallen hit Lelouch with a red shell and then passed him.

"Yep."

"You bastard."

"Nah," Kallen said, chuckling. "I was legitimised a couple months ago."

That tripped Lelouch up enough that he crashed all on his own into a hazard, which only fuelled Kallen's amusement.

"Sorry."

"No, don't bother," Kallen said, brushing Lelouch's sympathies aside. "It's more 'officially recognised'. My mum and dad aren't the ones with a problem."

"Ahhhh."

"Don't tell Euphie or Nunnally if they don't already know. I don't need them fretting over nothing."

"Alright. I expect you to run interference when you're around if they try anything like yesterday, though."

A snicker escaped Kallen as her first impression of Lelouch leapt to mind. "You mean with the flo–"

"We don't speak of such things," Lelouch hissed. "You might summon _her_."

"Who's 'her'?"

Lelouch sighed as he finished in last place. He put his controller down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Milly Ashford. My mother and her family are partners of sorts. She's a year older than us. She's… There are things in this world that man was not meant to come into contact with. I fear the day she gains any true authority over others."

"Uh-huh." This sounded like a girl Kallen just had to meet. _But then I might get wrapped up into whatever nonsense Lelouch is dancing around. Maybe it's just as well that I don't._

"Urgh. I'm becoming more and more outnumbered by mad females in my own home. Any chance I can convert you?"

"Uh, no," Kallen said flatly. "Sounds like it'd be easier to convert yourself."

The way Lelouch buried his head in his legs, muttering, left Kallen roaring with laughter. Maybe this Milly girl _was_ worth meeting after all, no matter the consequences.

"I'll meet you halfway, though," Kallen eventually said. "I enjoy most 'boy things'."

"Well, that's something," Lelouch mumbled.

"Where is your mother, by the way?" It had been nearly a day, and Kallen had yet to see Marianne vi Britannia.

"That celebration you were at last week," Lelouch said. "That was for her, more or less. She came home for a couple days for it and then went back to the front. She's _also_ the Knight of Six in addition to being an empress."

Well, that explained a lot. "Are you and Nunnally why children were allowed to come, then?"

Lelouch nodded before hitting a distracted Kallen with a green shell, which earned him another string of obscenities and insults.

"So your mother pilots the Ganymede?" After getting another nod, Kallen said, "Not that I'm really for conquering the world and all that, but that's _so cool_. Giant robots are awesome!"

"I suppose."

"I suppose? I suppose!" Granted, Lelouch would have been exposed to the Ganymede for a while now, which would reduce the awe factor, but Kallen still found Lelouch's response unacceptable. "I'm not a big anime fan, but giant robots are the stuff of dreams."

Kallen could just _feel_ Lelouch rolling his eyes next to her. "There's a full simulator on the other side of the villa, cockpit and everything, if you're that in love with them."

"Yes! Yes! A million times yes!"

"Fine, fine. Let me just finish destroying you first."

"Uh, excuse you. Who's in front of whom right now?"

Two seconds later, a blue shell hit Kallen.

* * *

Kallen tried to ignore Lelouch laughing at her. She really did. But she could feel her eye twitching even as the blood rushed to her head. Hanging upside down was never fun, and strapped into the knightmare simulator as she was, she had little choice to the contrary. If only she could find the internal shutdown switch.

"Just restart the bloody simulation already!"

"I saw it, but – but I – I can't – I can't believe it," Lelouch managed to say between wheezes. "How did you – how did you get wedged between two buildings like – like that?"

"Shut up! It's my first time, and I can't reach all the controls."

Despite Lelouch's continued laughter and obvious amusement, the cockpit Kallen was in righted itself. The entire simulation reset, and Kallen could get back to jumping and running around in a giant mecha. Forgetting how her first try had ended, she felt she had a decent handle on the control scheme – enough, at least, to get a feel for how knightmares worked. The Ganymede prototype was far more agile than she'd expected and more than it had any right to be, which only made it that much cooler. Someday she would have to try piloting a real knightmare, just so long as she remembered that wall jumping required a wall that could bear the impact of a seven tonne, armoured, metal mecha.

* * *

 **A/N:** Expect a little Kalulu friendshipping fluff, childhood antics, and the cruel world of Britannian imperial family politics.


	2. R0 S02 - Fire-Forged Friends

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round Zero  
Stage 02 - Fire-Forged Friends

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
August 15, 2009 a.t.b.**

Kallen moaned as she reluctantly awoke. Whatever time it was, it was too early. Still, after tossing and turning for who knew how long, she gave up on getting back to sleep as a lost cause.

Sitting up, Kallen rubbed at her eyes. From there atop her opulent four-poster bed, she lazily surveyed her surroundings. Beside her bed was a table and lamp. A large clock hung across the room. A chest laid at the foot of her bed. The curtains over the windows leading to the balcony were fortunately still drawn. The maids sometimes pulled them open too soon and let the hated sun burn and blind her with its most terrible rays.

"Ahhhhh!"

The curtains flew open, and Kallen hissed her displeasure. When the spots cleared from her eyes, her gaze fell onto an unexpected guest.

"Shinozaki-san?"

"Good morning, Lady Kallen," Sayoko Shinozaki replied in perfect English. As ever, a maid cap resided atop the woman's brown hair. In truth, although Kallen had once seen Sayoko without her maid uniform on, that hat had never left her head.

"Ohayō–" Kallen started before trailing off into a yawn. After smacking her lips, she said, "If you're here, I take it Milly is, too."

"Indeed," Shinozaki Sayoko, Milly Ashford's personal maid, said. "She was most put out to hear you were up late last night telling ghost stories with the princesses without her."

"Well maybe if she'd tell us when she planned to visit beforehand," Kallen muttered. More than once, Milly had shown up unannounced at Aries Villa or Stadtfeld Manor only to discover their little group had congregated at the opposite place. _Somehow_ , that was _their_ fault, not hers. "So what does Milly have in store for us today?"

"My mistress has not informed me. However, she requested I bring the rope, so I presume it has something to do with Prince Lelouch."

Kallen snickered despite herself. It had been a strange day when she'd walked in on a frankly rather girly tea party with Lelouch tied to a chair. In the end, tea time with Milly and Nunnally had been an enjoyable new experience _for her_. Lelouch would beg to differ, of course.

"Is Nunnally up yet?"

"No. I'm to wake her next."

"I see. Well, I suppose I'd better go rescue Lelouch, then. He's still upset with me for not saving him last time."

"Will you require any assistance getting ready?"

Kallen shook her head as she crawled out of bed toward her en suite. One of the perks of short hair amongst the upper class, she'd discovered, was that maids made much less of a fuss over letting her bathe and dress unattended. After a quick shower, she set out into Aries Villa to locate her prince in peril.

Not finding Lelouch in the usual places and not yet ready to face the day outside, Kallen broadened her search. Cornelia, in her office, said she saw him sprint past her door alone about an hour ago. In the kitchen, Kallen managed to talk the head chef into giving her the remaining bin of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from last night, but Lelouch hadn't been by for a discreet breakfast. None of the footmen or maids she'd run into near the servants' quarters had seen him, either.

Upon walking into the Ganymede's simulator room, Kallen found herself in for a surprise.

"Good morning, Kallen."

"Your Majesty!" A rather exhausted looking Marianne vi Britannia sat at the control station. A still steaming cuppa rested nearby. Her long black hair was as frazzled as she herself appeared. "Uh, good morning. I hadn't realised you'd returned to Pendragon."

"Relax. It's just me, Poppet. Charles isn't here."

Kallen let out a sigh of relief. She really had no idea how Marianne could be so casual around – let alone actually flirt with – the emperor. In truth, Marianne was the _only_ person she'd ever seen or heard of getting away with so much as _touching_ the emperor. Granted, the man's other consorts, most of whom had borne him children, must have touched him at _some_ point, too, but still.

"I'm afraid I need the simulator today, though," Marianne said. "If you want another lesson, you'll have to come back tomorrow."

"No, I was just – I mean, I'd love that, but I was just looking for Lelouch. Milly came to visit."

Marianne chuckled. "I'm aware. She asked me for a ride here as I left the Ashford's research centre this morning."

"Oh, dear. Lelouch isn't going to like that."

"I'm his mum," Marianne stated. "Nunnally will be happy, and he'll love me anyway."

Ignoring the longing in her chest, Kallen asked, "I don't suppose you've seen him, have you?"

"No, sorry. If he's hiding from Milly, I'd try the billiard room. She hates the game."

After saying, "Thank you," Kallen went on her way. As the billiard room was on the other side of the villa, she continued to look for Lelouch while wandering in its general direction.

"Kallen!"

Kallen barely had time to turn around before Milly crashed into her with a hug.

"It's so good to see you! It's been nearly a week now."

"Good morning to you, too, Milly."

"Have you seen Lelouch anywhere?"

Kallen lied without hesitation. "I think he went outside a little while ago. Why? What's your evil scheme this time?"

"I resent that," Milly said, pouting. "And just for that, I'm not going to tell you." A few moments later after she'd left to continue her own hunt, she stopped and turned in place. "And by the way, I don't believe you. You see, ever since you first appeared, Lelouch keeps escaping by the skin of his teeth. You've secretly aligned yourself with him, haven't you? I won't be forgetting that."

A shiver ran through Kallen as she watched Milly happily skip off whilst singing some cheery song. Her spying days, it seemed, were over.

* * *

Lelouch breathed deeply as he focused on the target before him. A blonde wig lay draped over the top. With a solid step forward, he thrust.

"Hmph." Lelouch glared at the child-sized training dummy in front of him and, in particular, the hole his rapier had made an inch from the heart. He knew he would never beat Kallen in a contest of physical endurance, given the bizarre mixture of muscle and intellect that she was, but was it too much to ask for more dexterity?

After a couple of short steps back, Lelouch repeated the manoeuvre.

 _Still off. How does she do it? Urgh!_

With an audible grunt, Lelouch thrust out again. This time he actually hit his target, if only barely.

"Of all the places you could be, this is the last one I expected to find you."

Lelouch turned his attention away and toward the doorway. He found Kallen there walking toward him. "Please tell me Milly isn't right behind you," he said.

"No, apparently she figured out that I've been quietly running interference for you."

A small smirk worked its way onto Lelouch's face. Kallen had been a great help in avoiding his sisters' shenanigans, but she'd proved rather less useful when it came to Milly. Sure, Milly had a tendency to appear without warning and at the strangest of times, but perhaps this would prove more _motivating_.

Lelouch turned back to his practice and prepared himself to strike again. "Good," he said between thrusts. "Serves you right for getting my mother to force me to be your sparring partner."

"I did no such thing," Kallen protested. "You were just…convenient."

Lelouch stabbed his target again with greater than average vigour. _Perhaps,_ he considered, _I should get a red wig, too._ "'Marianne, can you please teach me how to pilot a knightmare?'"

"I _do not_ sound like that."

Ignoring that little comment, Lelouch continued, "'Oh, of course, Poppet. I've always longed for a willing student.' 'How do you do that with your sword?' 'It's an ancient style of swordplay a friend of mine taught me. Would you like to learn?' 'Oh, please! Could Lelouch be my partner for practice? I like to make his life miserable in my own special way whenever I can like all the other females in his life.'"

"You made _all_ of that up," Kallen said as Lelouch stabbed his training dummy _far_ too hard and sent his rapier straight through it and out the other side.

"The spirit remains."

Kallen very dramatically turned around and brought her hands up to amplify her voice. "Hey, Mill–"

Eyes wide, Lelouch sheathed his sword and dashed over to Kallen. He grabbed her wrists and tore her hands away. Starring her in the eye, a second later, he grudgingly said, "You win."

"Good," Kallen said, echoing Lelouch's own words and smirk from but moments ago. She looked _entirely_ too pleased with herself. That look changed into horror in an instant when another voice echoed through the corridors.

"Milly, I found them!"

"Nunnally," Lelouch growled. _Betrayed by my own sister._ "I blame you."

"Whatever! Just run! Milly has the rope with her!"

Eyes widening, Lelouch took off immediately, only for Kallen to snag his wrist and pull him away from the door. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

"They'll catch us if we leave that way. Come on!"

Without any further fanfare, Kallen pulled Lelouch to the window, which she proceeded to open.

"What are you–"

"It's the first floor, and there's a branch to grab halfway down." Kallen climbed atop the windowsill. "Just do what I do."

And then Kallen jumped out the window.

* * *

Today was a good day. The sun was shining, bright and unrelenting, yet the weather was pleasantly cool. It looked like rain tomorrow, but that was a worry for another time. No attempts to breach Aries Villa's security had occurred today, a sadly too infrequent event. Her Majesty, Empress Marianne, possessed far too many domestic enemies through no fault of her own.

Patrol today had been a peaceful affair. Captain Cornelia had left with her sister to deal with a family matter, but no one had taken advantage of her absence to slack off. There had even been some free time to pick a snack in the orchard. The oranges were coming in especially well this year.

So it was that Jeremiah Gottwald happened upon the strangest sight of the day. From a window further along the path he'd been wandering burst the new face he'd been seeing around the villa over the past several months: Kallen Stadtfeld. She flew forward through empty space before catching a branch halfway to crashing onto the ground. She swung by one hand, arresting her momentum, before dropping the rest of the way to the ground.

"You are completely mad if you think I'm doing that!" came the faint sound of His Highness, Prince Lelouch. Jeremiah could see the prince's head peeking out of the very same window Lady Kallen had leapt from.

"Do you want Milly to catch you?"

 _Ah._ Understanding dawned on Jeremiah, and he hustled forward to be of assistance.

"Good work, Nunnally." Now that he was closer, Jeremiah could hear the voice of Lady Milly from within the building. He saw Prince Lelouch then throw caution to the wind and climb onto the windowsill. Dangling at his hip, the prince had a small child-sized rapier in its sheath. "He's getting away! Grab him!"

Obviously not willing to be caught, Prince Lelouch promptly leapt from the window. Unlike Lady Kallen, he fell short of the tree, but Jeremiah arrived just in time to catch him.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?"

"Yes, thank you…"

"Jeremiah Gottwald, Your Highness, at your service."

"Thank you, Sir Gottwald."

Before Jeremiah could correct his prince that he was not yet a knight, Lady Kallen grabbed his hand and pulled him along down the path. She said, "Come on! We have to move!"

As they jogged off at what Jeremiah suspected was the fastest pace his prince could maintain, he managed to catch little pieces of their conversation.

"A little ten foot drop never hurt anyone."

"Get horses."

Up above, Jeremiah heard Lady Milly say, "You there! Which way did Lelouch go?"

Jeremiah looked up to see both Lady Milly and Her Highness, Princess Nunnally. He briefly pondered his options. "I believe His Highness and Lady Kallen went to play in the garden." It was a lie, but a well-delivered lie.

"Thank you!"

With that, the two girls above disappeared back into the villa, and Jeremiah breathed a sigh of relief. Prince Lelouch was older than his sister and…reasonably athletic, and Lady Kallen reminded him so very much of Empress Marianne, if young and unpolished. Lady Milly and Princess Nunnally, though – well, he would prefer it if those two would not jump out of windows regardless of whether he was there to catch them or not. Fortunately, they had not pressed the matter.

And so Jeremiah continued on with his walk through the grounds until he had to get back to work. He did so love working at Aries Villa under Captain Cornelia and Empress Marianne. There was such a positive energy here that he'd not heard of from the friends he spoke with who were stationed at other palaces. That the empress herself was beautiful, charming, and for the better part friendly and informal was merely icing on the cake.

Today was a good day.

* * *

Lelouch slowed his horse to a trot. Aries Villa lay far behind, and he doubted Milly would follow him out into the surrounding woodlands. While he remained _far_ within the villa's grounds, which extended miles in every direction, it was easy to get oneself lost on the property. That was, of course, assuming no one in the guard sold him out to either Milly or Nunnally.

Not too far behind, Kallen caught up and slowed her own horse down to match Lelouch's pace. She was hardly dressed to ride, but then neither was he. He still had a sword strapped to his hip, after all.

As they came to a more conversational speed, Lelouch said, "Kallen."

"Hmm? Yeah?"

"I think you and I have a pressing need to make friends. Perhaps among those who monitor the villa's security cameras."

Kallen snickered before eventually admitting, "I ply the guards at my place with snacks and innocent, endearing questions."

 _I'm so glad she's on my side. Her_ and _Milly…_ A shiver ran down Lelouch's spine at the mere thought. "So," he said. "We've fled in exile, banished from my very home by that blonde usurper. What now?"

"Well," Kallen said, humming the word. "We'll eventually need to plan our dramatic return and ultimate victory. But for the moment, I'll race you to the pond."

Without further warning, Kallen kicked her horse into a full on gallop.

"Oi!" Lelouch followed suit, shouting, "Cheater!"

Kallen twisted about in her saddle just to blow a raspberry at Lelouch. Irritated, he spotted a clearer trail through the trees. He slowed his horse enough to clear the foliage in the way. Once he was through, the race was on!

Over hills, dodging roots, ducking under branches, and with more than one collision that left leaves in their hair, Lelouch and Kallen manoeuvred for position and the surer path. As he passed by a berry tree, Lelouch grasped a handful and lobbed them behind him. The resulting grunt and cry of, "Ew! Gross!" made the tactic completely worth the effort.

The unopened chestnuts Kallen threw at his back in retaliation made Lelouch reconsider.

In the end, two very unkempt children burst out of the trees with their goal, a little sandy pond, not far off. Lelouch cried his victory, much to a grumbling, cheating Kallen's displeasure, but there was no disputing that he had, in fact, won. Lelouch just laughed when she dismounted and pointedly ignored him as she made her way over to the pond to wash herself off. Lelouch, finally realising that his hands were a sticky mess, joined her quickly enough.

"So how are we going to take back the villa?" Kallen eventually asked. "We have no food, no allies, a bit of standing water, two horses, and a sword."

"Well, my rapier can probably cut Milly's rope. She doesn't use anything expensive."

" _Yet_ ," Kallen said. "If we start cutting her ropes, she'll start buying steel wire rope. Or just chains."

"True." Escalation was not a winning gambit when it came to that girl. "Do you know if Milly planned to spend the night?"

"Your mum brought her–"

Lelouch cursed.

"–so she'll probably be here at least until Marianne leaves. Your mum _did_ say she needed the simulator today but not tomorrow, so she might make a trip to the Ashford's research centre tonight."

"No, I doubt waiting Milly out will work. She could be here until Monday morning."

"We could always sneak in for snacks and camp out on this nice, soft, sandy beach."

"A…possibility," Lelouch allowed. It was warm enough, he supposed, if it really came to that.

"I could break your arm."

Lelouch snorted. "I appreciate you thinking outside the box, but I'd appreciate it _more_ if our plan _didn't_ involve bodily harm. Especially not to me." That said, two months without Milly's shenanigans _almost_ approached tempting.

"We could find rope of our own."

"Hmm… That has merit."

"We could build a tree fort and pull up the ladder."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow.

"What? Tree forts are cool."

"They also sound like a lot of work. I suppose we could hire contractors…"

Kallen promptly swatted Lelouch on the arm with the back of her hand. "Don't be a prat. A proper tree fort must be made with your own sweat, blood, and tears."

"You're really not selling this idea to me. It would take too long, anyway."

"Fair."

Now given the chance, Lelouch laid down on the sand to think. _Kallen might actually have had the right idea with camping out. This is pleasantly warm._ He snuggled deeper into the sand, and a thought struck him. "I've got it."

"Oh?" Kallen, who'd also lain down, rolled over. Her head propped up on her hands, she asked, "What's your idea, then?"

"Redirection." Lelouch could hardly believe he'd forgotten, but the girl _was_ quiet and did stay out of the way. " _Another_ " – he said the word like the poison it was – "girl came to the villa the other day. Anya Alstreim. Nunnally's age. Quiet. Shy. She's here to learn etiquette, I think."

After a moment's pause, Kallen asked, "Battle etiquette?"

"I highly doubt that."

"Then why did she come here!" Kallen said. She had a good point, really.

Shrugging, Lelouch said, "I'm not familiar with the Alstreims. I'd assume they're minor nobility hoping their daughter can recreate the vi Britannia magic of rising to the very top from the very bottom. Regardless, I've barely seen the girl; I doubt Milly even knows she exists. If we can engineer an encounter between her and Milly…"

"Ooh, I like this plan. That should keep Milly busy for the foreseeable future." Kallen frowned, if just for a moment. "Seems a shame to sacrifice Alstreim, though. But then the needs of the two outweigh the needs of the one."

"That is gloriously bad ethical maths." Lelouch smirked. "And to think, when you first came here, you thought you'd never fit in with other Britanni – ow!" Rather unsurprisingly, Kallen punched him on the arm. As always, the blow came hard enough to draw a reaction but soft enough not to actually hurt. It was a level of control Lelouch honesty envied.

But much more importantly, it was Kallen's way of admitting Lelouch had won, and they both knew it.

"Serves you right," Kallen muttered, although Lelouch could hear the smile in her voice.

The faint sound of rustling leaves behind them in the forest trickled onto the beach. Lelouch rolled his head back to look, the world going upside down. No one appeared right away nor made any attempt to conceal their approach, so he doubted it was Milly or Nunnally. In all likelihood, it was a guard coming to check on them.

Indeed, a minute later, a fairly young man in uniform appeared from within the trees. He possessed a slender build lacking any real muscle to speak of paired with a soft face that screamed 'not a threat'. A strange combination for a guard, Lelouch noted, but then appearances could be deceiving. Milly's personal maid, Sayoko, hardly looked like she could harm a fly yet doubled as Milly's bodyguard. How the Ashfords had recruited a genuine ninja, Lelouch would never know.

 _It is a bit odd that he hasn't said anything yet, though,_ Lelouch remarked as he watched the guard approach.

 _The help doesn't speak unless spoken to._

Lelouch pondered that thought. It seemed wrong. Maybe not elsewhere, but Aries Villa was more open to mingling. No one ever let Marianne forget that she was born a commoner, let alone that she had a French great grandmother, but neither did she ever try to, especially not in her own home.

 _Well, Mum and Cornelia personally vet everyone who works here. I trust them with my safety._

The guard stopped right beside them, peering down with an almost vacant look in his eyes. His gaze shifted first from Kallen to Lelouch. "You are Lelouch vi Britannia?"

 _Shouldn't he know?_

 _He must be new. It wouldn't be nice not to introduce ourselves._

"Yes," Lelouch said, rising to his feet. "And this is Lady Kallen Stadtfeld, heiress to the Stadtfeld name and title."

"Good morning," Kallen said, now standing. "Or is it good afternoon? Either way, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The guard's expression did not noticeably shift from his disinterested smile. He casually withdrew a garrote wire from his uniform.

 _Since when do the guards carry weapons to strangle people?_

 _Eh. Everyone has their own way of fighting._

 _Why would he be putting it around Kallen's neck, though?_

Some part of Lelouch objected to this strongly. Something was wrong. His sword was unsheathed and in his hand before he even knew it. But then the guard _looked_ at Lelouch, and he knew he was being foolish.

 _What am I doing? I don't need this._ Lelouch dropped his sword and staggered backward one step, then two, then steadied himself on the third. _See? Kallen is fine. She'd be struggling if she were in danger._

 _I don't like that choking sound she's making. That can't be healthy._

 _Well, this guard is a professional. I'm sure Kallen will be fine._

 _But…why?_

 _Why what?_

 _Just…why? Why is this happening? What purpose does it serve?_

Lelouch frowned, and his hands rose to his head. Thinking hurt. He took another step back.

 _I trust Mum. Even if she_ did _bring Milly over. She wouldn't let Kallen get hurt, nor would anyone she hired to protect us._

Lelouch took another step back. This drew the guard's attention and earned him a frown.

 _He looks so disappointed in me. Why am I backing away?_

Kallen's body dropped to the ground.

 _Well, yes, it_ is _her body, but the way I thought that sounded too much like 'corpse'. That would be ridiculous._

The guard bent down with two fingers extended, presumably to check Kallen's pulse. Lelouch took another step away, drawing the guard's attention back onto him and bringing on an even sterner frown.

 _See? He doesn't need to check her pulse, because she's obviously fine. He's coming straight over to deal with me next. You know, for whatever reason. I'm sure there is one._

Lelouch took a step back, but when the guard's hand fell on his shoulder, he stopped retreating. He trusted the man, after all.

* * *

Kallen jumped when her eyes snapped open. Breathing hurt. Her brain hurt. Living hurt. Why did everything hurt?

Experimenting, Kallen found herself able to move well enough. Her limbs all worked just fine. Her neck felt like it'd been lopped off and then Frankensteined back on, but it _was_ still attached.

And then a flood of horrifying memories hit her.

 _Why did I – Lelouch!_

Now that her senses were returning to her, she could hear the sound of Lelouch gasping for air not far from her. For some reason, he put up no struggle as the assassin in guard's clothing strangled him to death. Just like she hadn't.

Kallen's eye fell on Lelouch's sword. She remembered him dropping that earlier while he'd just watched her dying without a fuss on anyone's part.

She shook her head of the confusion, the anger, the betrayal, the fear, _everything_. Nothing about this made any sense. All Kallen knew for sure was that her friend was dying and that she _could_ act now.

And she only had one chance.

As silently as she could, thankful for the loud gasps from Lelouch as he ran out of air, Kallen grasped the short rapier on the ground. She steadied herself for a silent blow. She would help no one if she collapsed into a coughing fit or were caught.

Step by step, Kallen closed the gap between her and the false guard, who thankfully had his back to her.

 _Three… Two…_

Kallen thrust forward, deadly and precise. She buried the rapier deep within her assailant's back, stabbing upward through the heart and avoiding both the spine and ribs.

The man fell to the ground, dead.

 _Let's see how you like having no air!_ Kallen tried to speak the words, but they just sent her into a fit of wheezing coughs, and that set her world on fire. Beside her, Lelouch found himself in much the same predicament, although he could still manage to gasp out words.

"What… Just… Happened…"

Kallen could only shrug. She had no idea, either.

"Not safe here. Need to get back."

Lelouch held out a hand to help Kallen up, one she gladly took. Propping each other up, they made their way off the beach. There they found their horses thankfully still nearby a short way into the forest. Having to ride back to the villa would be hard enough; walking back for hours on end would be a nightmare.

"Can you ride?" Lelouch's voice sounded much better than before, if still raspy and grating.

Careful not to aggravate her neck, Kallen weakly said, "Slowly. You, too."

"Alright. Not sure where cameras are. If lucky, escort will come."

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Britannia  
August 15, 2009 a.t.b.**

"Charles!"

The ninety-eighth emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, the ruler of nearly a third of the world, the sole publicly known survivor of the Emblem of Blood, Charles zi Britannia shifted uneasily upon his throne. He knew that voice. At the far end of the courtroom and heedless to the gathered audience of courtiers, empresses, lords and ladies, and princes and princesses, the figure of Marianne vi Britannia dressed in her rarely seen imperial regalia stormed up to the throne.

How Charles hoped he was not the target of Marianne's wrath. But even if he were, what a glorious figure she struck. She _would not_ be sleeping alone tonight.

The Duke of New Orleans, poor fool that he was, attempted to get between Marianne and her target. Technically, he _did_ have the floor at the moment. Of course, Marianne paid him no more mind than the time it took to grasp his neck and shove him bodily out of the way.

At the base of the dais leading up to the throne, Marianne paused in her stride. "A sensitive matter of state requires your immediate attention." That was all the lip service she could pay to decorum, it seemed.

Glad to have a legitimate reason to leave, Charles turned court over to the recently sworn in Prime Minister Schneizel. He then departed through the rear exit with Marianne to a private audience chamber further within the palace. Once they were alone with the door sealed, Marianne exploded.

"Summon V.V. here immediately!"

And there it was. Charles asked, "What did he do this time?"

"I have a geass user with a sword shoved through his heart in Aries Villa!"

That news brought Charles up short. After a moment, he asked, "What was his geass?"

"Charles!"

Careful not to turn Marianne's anger onto himself, Charles gently pulled her into him. She put up a fuss, of course, but she allowed it in the end.

"Well?"

With a huff, Marianne settled down just enough to actually talk about what had happened. "From what Lelouch and Kallen could tell me, I think it was a weaker version of C.C.'s former geass. Only it induces trust instead of love."

"What happened?" Charles had thought Marianne had been attacked, but it _would_ explain her temperament if it'd been the children in danger instead. She'd not exactly been subtle in court.

"Lelouch and Kallen were nearly strangled to death."

Hazarding the minefield, Charles said, "This spat between you and my brother wouldn't lead him to target–"

"I'm not in the mood, Charles!"

"–the children. It's more likely another code bearer discovered our plans, knew where C.C. has been staying, and decided to remove anyone she might be inclined to grant geass to."

"Your brother is a possessive, jealous psychopath! Occam's razor. He ordered it."

Charles fought the urge to sigh. "I disagree. Nor do I recall a geass like the one you've described within the directorate." Sensing Marianne's frustration erupting and, much worse, turning onto himself, he said, "Tell me what happened in detail."

After a long moment of silence, Marianne spoke in a low, dangerous voice. "I only found out something had happened when Lelouch and Kallen came stumbling in through the front door clinging to each other and refusing to let their escort near them. Their assailant had dressed as a guard, and considering what his geass did, I told them they were smart kids and left it at that.

"Kallen suffered the worst of it, but she'll recover soon. Those two told me the assassin confirmed Lelouch's identity, specifically; Kallen must have only been a witness to silence."

Marianne breathed deeply in a way Charles recognised as she clearly fought against a grin to stay angry. She failed, of course, thankfully.

"I'm so proud of our boy and my protégé," Marianne said. The restrained urge to gush and crow revealed itself in her tone. "Lelouch resisted the geass enough to distract the assassin, and then Kallen stabbed the bastard from behind. One hit, one kill." In perfect seriousness, she added, "I want her for Lelouch. Don't you dare marry him off, you hear me?"

"As you wish." In all honesty, beyond the simple need to avoid provoking Marianne further, Charles found no reason to object. From everything he'd heard and what little he'd seen, Kallen Stadtfeld would make for a strong, loyal consort. Charles scowled at the thought of the first woman who'd been foisted upon him before pushing the memories away.

"Will I need to pay those two a visit?" Charles asked.

Marianne sighed. "Yes. I tried to rationalise their experience as being the result of a drug, but they're both too smart. They know something inexplicable happened to them. Just don't modify their memories too much. It happened. Let them grow from the experience. It'll happen again in their lives, most likely. I'm honestly surprised the Stadtfelds haven't made a move against Kallen yet."

A snort escaped Charles. "They're too terrified of drawing your wrath down upon them. No one has forgotten your part in my ascension to the throne."

"I suppose."

"The Stadtfelds are no different than my aunts, uncles, and cousins were: lying, scheming, wretches who care for nothing but themselves. If they become a problem, just execute them."

"Charles," Marianne said flatly, "I have more royal blood on my hands than anyone else in history. I don't need you telling me how to deal with uppity nobles." And then the fire came back into her voice. "And you just described V.V. perfectly!"

This time Charles permitted himself a quiet sigh.

* * *

 **The Sky  
Britannia  
August 15, 2009 a.t.b.**

When Marianne had texted and told him his daughter had been caught up in an assassination attempt, Reese's first instinct had been to strangle the woman next to him to see how she liked it. Of everyone, he knew Clarine Stadtfeld had always possessed the least moral scruples when it came to getting what she wanted, namely an absolute lack of them.

Reese freely admitted he hated his little sister.

Of course, after he reined in his urge to kill Clarine in the middle of Stadtfeld Industries's board room, Reese's next thoughts were for a fist to the face of the man on his other side. He had, at best, a tenuous working relationship with his youngest sibling. Amongst his remaining relations, James Stadtfeld came the closest to accepting Kallen's existence. The man's opinion on Minami and Naoto, however, left much to be desired.

But before Reese could decide to assault someone, Marianne had gone on to tell him that the assassin's target had been Lelouch, not Kallen. That had cooled his temper a bit. When she told him that Kallen herself had dispatched the scoundrel, that had taken the wind out of his sails entirely.

After being assured that Kallen was alive, resting, and mostly well, as was Lelouch, Reese had called an end to the board meeting and had then immediately departed for Aries Villa. Part of him wanted to ask Marianne to wake Kallen so he could talk to her, but he could wait. For now, he pulled out his phone.

"Moshi moshi," came a much needed voice a few seconds later.

"Hey, Minami," Reese said, trying his best to sound as calm as he really should be. Kallen _was_ fine, after all. The whole incident had already ended.

"Well, hello, Love," Minami replied, switching to English. While Reese was not _incapable_ of speaking Japanese himself, there was a reason Kallen and Naoto's first language was English. "How are things in the empire? Don't tell me I have to start calling our little girl Your Highness."

After a pause, Reese said, "No. It's considered the height of bad manners to…press for such things before a lady's debutante ball."

"Didn't stop you, now did it?"

"No, I suppose not, Milady," Reese said, relaxing into something more familiar than the near death of his daughter.

"Not that I'm not happy to hear from you, but aren't you supposed to be in an important meeting right now?"

"I was until I got a call from Marianne."

"Oh? And what did Her Majesty want? Nothing bad, I hope."

"Not exactly." Reese hesitated as he tried to think of the right words, not that he expected to succeed. "Do you remember that Kallen decided to take up fencing?"

"Yes, with the prince. Neither of them were hurt, were they?"

"Not in the way you're thinking." Reese then hastily added, "Mind that they're both well. Just shaken up."

"What happened?" Minami pressed.

"There was an attempt on Lelouch's life." Over Minami's gasp, Reese continued, "Kallen stabbed the perpetrator through the heart." After a pause, he added, "According to Marianne, it was very nicely done."

The seconds passed.

"Minami?"

"Kallen, she's alright?"

"Yes. I'm still en route to Aries Villa and haven't talked to her yet, but Marianne told me the doctors are sure no permanent damage occurred."

Minami let out a sigh of relief before asking, "Is she safe there?"

Grimacing, Reese said, "Where? Aries Villa or Britannia?"

"Either. Both."

"She's safer here than in Japan. It's no secret here that the imperial court is _unhappy_ with the political games Japan is engaging in with regard to the Indochinese War. I'm glad she won't have to live through whatever ends up happening. But beyond that, Kallen is under the vi Britannian aegis. So long as Marianne is around, no one would dare target her except possibly as a way to get at the vi Britannias. At that point, if she isn't safe at Aries Villa, where would she be? It's not easy to kill an empress in her home."

Reese deliberately left unsaid that it was not easy to kill an empress _anymore_. There were too few years between the Emblem of Blood and now for comfort, but there was no doubt that the current emperor had managed to put an end to the familicidal aspects of the quest for the throne since his ascension to it.

"I hate this."

"I know. If we lived in a better world…" Reese let out a dry laugh. "If it wouldn't put such a large target on my and Kallen's backs, I'd try to help one of the li or vi Britannia children become the next emperor or empress. Cornelia is a little rough around the edges, Nunnally is a little too mischievous, Euphemia is a little too soft, and Lelouch is a little too close to my baby girl, but they're all good kids."

A weak chuckle came through the phone. "'Too close to my baby girl' is your objection to the prince?"

"Of course!"

"You are such a prat."

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
August 16, 2009 a.t.b.**

 _Of all the ways we could get Milly to back off…_

Lelouch glanced to his left where the girl in question sat beside him.

 _It's her fault,_ whispered a little voice in Lelouch's head.

 _It's not,_ returned the much more dominant voice of logic. _She was the reason we left the villa, yes, but she didn't hire an assassin. Nor would the assassin have left if we hadn't gone outside yesterday. He might have even targeted Nunnally first, if we hadn't; he_ must _have been after more than just me. After all, what have_ I myself _done to be targeted?_

That thought struck deep into the heart of every part of Lelouch looking for someone to blame.

 _Maybe I should even_ thank _her. Kallen and I survived. We'll be fine. Nunnally might not have._

Really, Lelouch didn't even dislike Milly. She was more of an irritating older sister he'd never wanted than anything else. He could see the guilt preying on her underneath the concern on her face.

 _I should say something. What would Euphie say?_

Curled up into Lelouch's side on the right, Nunnally asked, "Is Kallen going to be alright?"

"She's going to be as hale and hearty as ever," Lelouch said. He patted Nunnally on the head. "She's more unhappy with the doctors still fussing over her than with anything else. I know I was when it was my turn."

"Lelouch…" Milly began, only for him to cut her off.

"I'm fine. She's fine. That's all I care about." Some part of Lelouch bemoaned the missed opportunity to guilt Milly into behaving, but the idea crossed a line he refused to step over – at least when it came to his, well, his sisters' friends.

Just as Milly looked about to say something else, the door to Kallen's room opened, and her father stepped out. He noticed the three of them gathered right outside and nodded back inward.

"She's cleared for visitors," Reese said, "but go easy on her. And don't let her out of bed."

When Lelouch, Nunnally, and Milly moved to enter, Reese's hand fell on Lelouch's shoulder and held him back. "A moment, if you would."

As much as Lelouch wanted to see Kallen again now that he was _allowed to_ , he told the girls to go on ahead without him. Leaving her father angry was a very good way to become responsible for her disappearing from their lives altogether, and Reese's expression did look so very, very _controlled_.

Once they were alone, Lelouch said, "Lord Stadtfeld, I apologise for letting Kallen get hurt. If I'd been stronger–"

"Stop. Please sit down, Lelouch."

Hesitating only a moment, Lelouch nodded and did as bidden. After he was seated, Reese dropped down to his knees to be at eye level. The silence stretched on, and surprisingly, the only expression Lelouch could find on Reese's face was hints of concern.

"Lelouch, from the story Kallen told me, you drew the assassin's attention onto yourself and willingly allowed him to catch you just to give my daughter a chance to save the both of you. That is a strength beyond a paltry physical warrior. You are a brilliant boy. Don't lose yourself over this."

"That's… I…" Lelouch had no idea how to respond to that. This was not the direction he'd expected the conversation to take. "Thank you."

"I assume your mother has already spoken with you, yes?"

Lelouch nodded.

"Good. However, I want you to know, if you ever need someone _not_ of the fairer sex to talk to, you can always come to me. I know the emperor must be busy."

Despite himself, Lelouch snorted. "Father has over a hundred children. I'm forever surprised when he and I occupy the same room more than once a month. Thank you, though. Clovis is too much of a fop, and Schneizel…" He shrugged. In all honesty, he suspected Schneizel was a high-functioning sociopath. Perhaps Odysseus would be okay to talk to; he was a good listener, if nothing else.

"You're welcome," Reese said. "Now, indulge me, if you will. Why did you do what you did? That is, why didn't you, say, jump on a horse and run for help? Kallen said the assassin was after you, specifically. Did you think he wouldn't chase you?"

"No. Not exactly. I did think of sneaking off and causing a racket as I rode away. But if I'd left, he might have just snapped Kallen's neck before coming after me. It'd have only taken a second."

Reese levelled a calculating gaze on Lelouch. He sat up straighter in his chair, not sure what exactly the man was looking for, but he was determined not to be found wanting in whatever it was.

"I see. Why put yourself in so much risk, though?" Reese asked. "Surely other ideas occurred to you."

"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

"So you picked a plan that you saw could bring a total victory even though it carried more risk for yourself?"

Lelouch nodded. That summed it up very well.

"I see." After a second, Reese then said, "Lelouch, let me tell you a story. In Japan, Kallen attended a private school. There she had a friend named Tomoya. In fact, they're still in contact, I believe. One day when they were waiting to be driven home, a mean, older boy from another school nearby stole something important to Tomoya. Naturally, Kallen ended up picking a fight with the boy to get it back."

Not exactly sure where this was going other than to draw a parallel to what happened yesterday, Lelouch asked, "Did she?"

"No. Well, yes. She caused enough of a scene that a few adults got involved. She herself was outmatched at the time. The point I wanted to make is this isn't an isolated occurrence. Kallen protects her friends regardless of whether she can win or not. With force up to and including precise strikes through the heart."

 _Oh._ Yes, Lelouch was perfectly familiar with the concept of Kallen protecting him, if only from girly threats until today.

"Give some thought to what you want to do with your future."

"I will." It felt wrong to say anything more or less than that.

"Good. Now I know Kallen wants to see you, so why don't you head on inside."

* * *

With the doctors at last leaving her alone so long as she promised to stay in bed, Kallen finally managed to finish telling her dad everything that had happened. Part of her wanted to see her friends right away, but once she'd started talking, the words refused to end.

"And then I realised Lelouch wasn't abandoning me and had tripped on purpose. His rapier was right there next to me. I wasn't even a proper target, so all I could do to save him was – was to stab him. And Marianne always says surprise only gets you one free hit, so make it count. And I don't know how to debilitate in one blow. I mean, a knee might have worked, but he might still have caught one of us. Or shot us, maybe. Or I might not have gotten all the way through the bone. Or–"

Kallen flinched when her dad reached out for her, and she hated herself for it. He showed no sign of offence, though, and gently caressed her cheek.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to explain yourself to anyone. You did the right thing. Leaving an assassin alive would have only spared his life long enough for a brutal interrogation. And that's only if he didn't take his own life first. No one is going to treat you any differently. Or at least not negatively. I know Marianne is ecstatic with how well you put her lessons to use. And since it seems you followed Lelouch's plan, I can only presume he's very grateful, too."

"I know."

"Oh, and let's not forget the other girls. Nunnally, Euphemia, and Cornelia will love you unto the end of time for saving their favourite brother. I briefly ran into Milly on the way here. She looked like she felt so guilty for putting you two into that position to begin with."

"It's not her fault!" Kallen said. She rather flatly added, "It's just something that happened."

"I know. Just tell her that whenever she looks upset, and maybe she'll eventually believe it. It's what I plan on doing with you, you know."

"But Dad, I _killed_ someone! I didn't even – my first and only thought was 'go for the heart; avoid the bones'."

Reese shifted to petting Kallen's hair, and she relished the undeserved affection.

"When Marianne told me you asked her to teach you to fence, I never though you'd actually have a use for it; she doesn't do it as a sport. I'm so glad you went through with it, though. I don't want to think about what might have happened if you'd hesitated or been unprepared. I'd much rather a thousand murderers die than you. Having the conviction to save not only yourself but others as well isn't a bad thing. You have nothing to feel guilty over."

"I know. I don't. I just…"

"Feel guilty over not feeling guilty?"

Kallen shook her head. "I don't even feel guilty about not feeling guilty about not feeling guilty, nor anything more meta. I just – _straight to the heart_ , Dad. I'd never even thought about killing someone. And then I just did it. I did it, let Lelouch help me up, and then rode off to the villa without looking back. What does that say about me as a person?"

"I don't know what you see in the mirror, but I'm looking at a more polished version of Britannia's Yamato Nadeshiko."

"Wha–"

Cutting off Kallen, Reese went on to say, "Strong, smart, brave, beautiful, and with the strength of character to do what is necessary. Yep. That's Britannia's perfect woman."

"Dad!" Kallen protested.

"Of course, let's not forget that you've only ever hurt others to protect those whom you care about. And you have enough goodness in your heart to wonder if you _are_ a good person. I have no idea what I did right to have raised you, but I'm so very proud."

By now, Kallen was blushing hard enough that it almost hurt.

"There, see? You look even more beautiful blushing."

"You're the worst," Kallen mumbled, though it did nothing to alleviate her condition.

"Perhaps. Now would you like me to send your friends in? I've been hearing whispers at the door for a while now."

Kallen silently nodded.

* * *

The stars burned brightly above in the night sky. This far from Pendragon proper, Aries Villa hosted a glorious nightscape once the bulk of the palace staff went to bed. In all honesty, Kallen preferred the view at Stadtfeld Manor, but either was better than back in Japan. The light pollution near Tokyo was inescapable.

The new moon left Kallen's room in almost perfect darkness. The only light came from a small, blue nightlight near the bathroom door. Into the silence came a soft knock. The door opened, and Kallen spotted the silhouette of Lelouch just behind it.

"Finally," Kallen said. "I was thinking about heading to bed."

"You're already in one," came the deadpan response.

Kallen harrumphed. "I don't see why I'm the only one confined to bed."

Taking the seat beside Kallen, Lelouch said, "Probably because you're a delicate flower in danger of wilting."

"Please tell me there's actually a _real_ difference between our conditions."

"Mum said you had some swelling," Lelouch offered. "I don't think it was entirely that the doctors considered you a fragile noble heiress in need of pampering."

"Good."

Lelouch said nothing.

"We're alive."

"Your powers of observation astound me."

"I think you greatly overestimate them." After a moment of hesitation she was sure Lelouch picked up on, Kallen said, "You know, I thought you were leaving at first."

"I wasn't."

"I know," Kallen said. There was no doubt in her tone, and she hoped Lelouch noticed that, too. "It hurt, though, seeing you inch away. Noticing hand gestures isn't very easy when you're being strangled to death."

"Personally, I thought they were very straightforward."

"Uh-huh." Kallen rolled her eyes, an act that went unappreciated in the dark. "Point, point, point. Point, point, point at back of hand."

"Hey, I pointed at me, then him, then away. Then the sword, you, and then gestured for 'stab him in the back'. It was all perfectly understandable."

Kallen said nothing and glared at Lelouch.

"Okay, I can see how it might be hard to interpret all that when you're otherwise preoccupied," Lelouch admitted.

"I'd also like to point out how hard it is to follow a line when you're blacking out."

A second passed in silence.

"Maybe we need codewords and signals."

"That wouldn't be a terrible idea," Kallen said, "even if it'd just be for fun."

And then the silence returned. Neither broke it for what Kallen was sure must have been a full minute. Eventually, though, Lelouch asked, "Why did you call me here?" Only curiosity came across in his tone.

 _Because I didn't want to be alone. Because I wanted to know if you'd come. Because I wanted to know if we're still friends when no one else is around. Because you're the only one with just the right experiences to understand. Because…_

"Kallen?"

"I don't know," Kallen finally admitted. "It just…felt right."

Lelouch said nothing to that, but Kallen could feel a questioning look being sent her way.

"I'm sorry for dragging you out of bed. I'd have come to you if I weren't confined to mine."

"It's not a problem."

"I… Well, I didn't really have anything…" Fumbling for words, Kallen eventually decided on a simple, "Thank you for coming. I needed this. Good night?"

"Good night, Kallen."


	3. R0 S03 - A Murder in the Family

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round Zero  
Stage 03 - A Murder in the Family

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
September 28, 2009 a.t.b.**

Marianne knew she was about to die. No one was around to use her geass on, hence no one whose body she could take possession of. It was ironic, really. Here she was, one of Britannia's strongest knights and most successful generals, lying on the ground in her own home and slowly bleeding to death after losing a firefight against a ten-year-old.

Of course, V.V. only looked ten, much like C.C. only looked sixteen, but it was the principle of the matter.

 _Strange thoughts that come to mind when you're dying. Shouldn't have asked C.C. to watch over the kids._

Rather unpleasantly, Marianne hacked up what felt like a lungful of blood. Even more unpleasantly, V.V. decided to stand over her so that she had to look at the little wretch. She tried to scowl at him, but the pain was not worth the effort.

"I hope you're enjoying this," Marianne said. Her voice, much to her regret, came out broken, but her spirit remained. "Because you are the most shortsighted fool I've ever met."

V.V. smirked in that little condescending way of his that always made Marianne want to punch him. "Oh, let me guess," he said mockingly. "Charles! Charles! Your evil brother killed me. He's a monster."

A sinking feeling grew in the pit of Marianne's stomach beyond her encroaching death.

"Why do you think you're still alive?" V.V. asked.

"You're not going to kill me," Marianne said in no small amount of horror.

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm _going_ to kill you," V.V. said with entirely too much undisguised glee. "Sure, I could spirit you away somewhere and break you, but it'd be such a chore to make sure you don't just off yourself while I'm not looking. And that geass of yours–"

Marianne's eyes widened.

"You thought I didn't know what it was? I'm…disappointed you think so little of me. No, I won't take the chance of you sneaking away from me body by body. You're done distracting Charles."

"What is wrong with you?" Marianne said. She knew well enough that there was no reasoning with V.V. when it came to his brother to bother trying. "Ragnarök is proceeding as ever. Charles is allowed to have a life outside of you and the plan."

"I'm not interested in explaining myself. You're on a clock, and I need to threaten you before you expire."

A scoff escaped Marianne, and she regretted it almost immediately as it led to a horrible fit of wheezing coughs.

"Everyone has a weakness, Marianne. _You_ " – V.V. spat the word like it was a poison capable of killing even him – "have become Charles's. Charles is mine. But _you_ , yours is your children."

"Oh, I'm so scared." Some part of her knew she should shut up, but Marianne was beyond furious. "What are you going to do? Kill them, too?"

V.V. smiled – no, _grinned_. "Of course," he said.

 _Who cares. They'll miss out on growing up with their friends, but–_

"Oh, and in case you're labouring under the misconception that I'd merely part them from their flesh like you, do mind that I mean that literally. Maybe I'll take Lelouch into the directorate. Regardless, when I'm done, there won't be a thing left of Lelouch vi Britannia. There will only be some tool wearing his skin."

"You–"

"And Nunnally! Oh, the uses I could put her to. She's so young and…moldable."

Marianne glared at V.V..

"Now I bet you're thinking, 'Charles can just take V.V.'s code and then kill him.' Of course, if that happens, I have plans in place for after my death. Just as I'm sure you do, too, which you will be telling me about."

"You do realise Charles will know all of this after Ragnarök, right?" It was the only counter threat Marianne had thought of so far.

"Yes, but when that happens, he'll understand. That's the point, remember?"

"What do you want?" Marianne growled.

"I want you out of the way. You are going to behave yourself in the World of C and tell Charles _exactly_ what I instruct you to say."

Marianne smirked, not because she had a way out of this, but because she knew V.V. would _hate_ what she had in mind. "So you want me to _lie_."

The crack in V.V.'s victorious expression was _almost_ worth everything he was putting Marianne through.

"And when Charles comes to talk to you, you're going to _lie to hi–_ "

V.V. shot Marianne in the shoulder and visibly restrained himself from going any further. She refused to give him the satisfaction of screaming, but she grit her teeth and grunted nonetheless.

"I will do no such thing! I would _never_ lie to him. I simply won't tell him things he doesn't need to know."

 _Now there's a thought. Get V.V. mad enough to kill me before he can tell me what to say. Charles will know something is wrong if I don't say anything or start making stuff up that doesn't match whatever story V.V. wants to sell. Or if V.V. gets to me first, maybe Charles will catch him in the act._ Marianne doubted it would work, but it was better than doing nothing.

"Half truths, V.V.? That makes you…" Marianne paused for effect. Then whispering, she punctuated each remaining word. "Just. Like. Your. Family."

"I am nothing like them!"

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
September 24, 2009 a.t.b.**

"Marianne, you cannot be serious."

"I'm not in the habit of issuing orders I don't intend to see followed, Captain."

Being referred to by title left Cornelia with nothing to say but, "Yes, Your Majesty." And in doing so, Marianne's expression softened.

"Aries Villa will look after itself while we're gone. Take a holiday. Go spend some time with the kids at Stadtfeld Manor. Challenge Nonette to a duel, or simply have tea with her. Seduce that handsome Guilford boy, if that's what makes you happy."

Cornelia blushed and fumbled for words as she protested that last part.

"My point is, a skeleton force around the perimeter will be enough to look after the villa for a week while we're all gone. The staff works hard and deserves a break, yourself included."

"But Your Majesty, there's been three attempted assaults on the villa in the last month alone. _Three_! And that's not counting the one Lelouch and Kallen foiled. Who knows what traps might be set up while the defences are so weak."

Marianne sighed. "If you're so worried, I grant you permission to come back on the first a day early to personally sweep the grounds. But not a minute earlier, understood?"

After a moment's hesitation, Cornelia asked, "You're not just trying to hide something, are you? The guard is loyal to you. I'm pretty sure half of the men have long since taken a fancy to you, even. We will keep your secrets."

Clicking her tongue, Marianne shook her head. It made Cornelia feel small and young again in ways she'd really thought were both beneath and behind her.

"If I wanted to hide something," Marianne began, "there are _far_ less overt ways of going about it. I do have a cloak and dagger in my closet, you know. I'm proficient in their use. I could go get them right now, if I wanted."

Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll see to your orders immediately."

After nearly an hour's work deciding who could leave and who really needed to stay, Cornelia had stripped Aries Villa's staff and security down to the bare essentials. Come tomorrow, barely three dozen people would remain on the grounds until Marianne returned on the second of October.

Now, though, Cornelia had to face the monumental task of deciding what to do with herself for the next week. Thinking about it, there _was_ one suggestion Marianne had made that Cornelia found appealing. She pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Euphie, would you like to join me on holiday at Stadtfeld Manor?"

* * *

 **Ashford Research Centre  
Ashfordshire, Britannia  
September 24, 2009 a.t.b.**

Marianne politely smiled as she passed another acquaintance of hers who'd stopped to say hello. Having worked as a test pilot for so long, she knew most of the scientists here rather well, but every so often she ran into someone whose name escaped her.

Pressing on, Marianne passed through the main lab of the building. There before her stood the Ganymede in all its glory. At over six metres tall and just above seven tonnes, the blue and gold knightmare was a thing of beauty. Faster than a cheetah yet as agile as a squirrel, it could dance circles around any conventional weapon. She'd put it to excellent use in the ongoing Indochinese War, dominating the battlefield wherever she'd appeared.

It was such a shame the Ganymede's battery life was terrible.

"Good evening, Your Majesty."

Turning away from her beloved mech, Marianne found herself face to face with Ruben Ashford. At fifty-five, the man still possessed the thick, blonde locks characteristic of the Ashford family, although one or two grey hairs could be found here or there.

"Even after all these years, it still feels wrong to hear you call me that."

"My apologies. I'll be sure to keep treating you like the little pickpocketing urchin filth you are."

"Oh, please. I haven't done that since you leapt over a fence and landed on me."

Ruben broke into a smile as the memory came back to him. Chuckling, he moved to embrace Marianne. "Those were better days," he said as they hugged. "I don't think my old bones could take you anymore."

"Ha! Please. You got lucky, old man. Now tell me where have you been hiding out? I haven't seen or heard from you in a month."

"Oh, here and there," Ruben said. "Some whippersnapper up in Oregon saw how effectively you used the Ganymede and thought to muscle in on our territory."

"'Whippersnapper', Ruben?"

The man just shrugged as if to say, "I'm old. So what?"

"How did negotiations go, then?" Marianne asked.

"Ongoing. No one wants to get into a patent war with an empress, but I have to admit they had a few good ideas. They haven't solved the battery life problem, though."

On the topic of business, Marianne remembered one of the reasons she'd come here today. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small disk containing the latest simulation data she'd gathered and handed it over to Ruben.

"Speaking of problems," Marianne said after the exchange was done, "the biggest one is still pilot survivability. _I'm_ amazing, and my darling protégé continues to impress, but the average devicer is too exposed. Regardless of the ethical issues, we can always throw more money at knightmares; training talent takes time."

Although his voice was grudging, Ruben said, "That's actually one of the good ideas I discovered up in Oregon. They built the entire frame around an enclosed cockpit ejection system."

Marianne paused to think about the concept for a moment. The unimpeded view the Ganymede offered was noteworthy, but she did get ever so twitchy while constantly watching for a lucky foot soldier looking to take a pot shot at her.

 _An armoured cockpit would deal with snipers, too. I'm so tired of bloody snipers._

"From the expression on your face," Ruben said, "I take it the idea gets your vote?"

Marianne nodded. "Look into it. Now if you don't mind, could you tell me where I could find Sayoko? I have a task for her."

"Ah… Nothing too…disagreeable, I hope?"

"I don't anticipate any bodies," Marianne said warily. The less Ruben knew, the better.

"I see. Well, I believe my granddaughter wandered off to a coffee shop nearby. I'll send out a few people to fetch Sayoko and bring her to your office."

"Very well." As Marianne turned to leave, a thought occurred. "Oh, make sure not to leave Milly unprotected. Sayoko hasn't reported any recent attempts on her, but we've been attracting more than the usual unwanted attention lately."

"She was intending to go stay with her friends at Stadtfeld Manor," Ruben offered.

Marianne nodded and left to find her office. _Maybe I can bribe C.C. to watch over the kids. I'd probably just need to make a big pizza or something._

* * *

Having first handed Lady Milly off to the care of her grandfather, Sayoko stood before the door to Empress Marianne's office. She raised her hand and knocked.

A moment later an, "Enter," came from within.

Sayoko did as bidden and stepped inside. She shut the door behind her and approached Empress Marianne's desk. Once there, she placed her hands together and bowed deeply. "You summoned me, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, take a seat, please. Just give me a moment." A minute later, Empress Marianne finally set down her pen and pushed her paperwork away. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair. "How are you, Sayoko? Has Milly been well?"

"Lady Milly has been very entertaining. There have been no further abduction attempts since the last."

"Excellent. Now then, I have a new mission for you, if you're willing."

With no hesitation, Sayoko replied, "The Shinozaki clan's services remain at your disposal, Your Majesty."

Nodding, Empress Marianne said, "I imagine you can handle this yourself, but if need be, feel free to call in help. I know who is behind the latest series of attacks on my family. Unfortunately, I'm not able to simply remove him, so I need you to do some digging around for me."

"I assure you my clan is more than capable of disappearing anyone without it being tied back to you."

Empress Marianne let out a frustrated grunt. "Not in this case, you're not. I'd be the only suspect, or at least the primary one by default, and when things become dubious enough for me not to task the OSI with what I need done…" Left unsaid was that she would simply disappear as well with or without proof.

"Regardless," said Empress Marianne. She reached into a drawer of her desk and retrieved a large photo. On it rested the visage of a young boy approximately Prince Lelouch's age with floor length blonde hair. He wore a black cape and held all the dignity expected of royalty in his bearing.

"This boy is a member of the organisation trying to assassinate me. I'm aware of most of its structure, and I'm technically part of it myself. I'm sure there's parts being hidden from me, however. I want you to follow this boy. Find out, approximately, where he goes.

" _Do not_ approach him. _Do not_ approach anyone he gives orders to. Tell _no one_ about this unless you require your clan's assistance. And for the sake of everything you love, _do not_ give him the slightest hint of your presence. These people are more secretive and paranoid than the worst sections of the OSI and are more dangerous than you can imagine."

"Understood. Do I have a place to start looking or a time frame?"

"The bulk of the organisation exists within the Imperial Palace itself, but there's nothing of interest there. The boy's name is V.V.. He tends to avoid being seen in crowds, but he has a weakness for Exelica Garden. If you need an official cover, I can get one for you."

After a momentary pause to let Sayoko absorb everything, Empress Marianne continued, "That all said, the sooner you get this done, the better, but do not take risks under any circumstances. My family is already in enough danger without it being known that I'm sending shinobi out in retaliation."

"As you wish. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"No. Just be careful, Sayoko."

Rising to her feet, Sayoko said, "Very well. Your will be done, Your Majesty." Offering one last bow, she then departed to see to the fulfilment of her orders.

* * *

 **Shinjuku, Japan  
September 26, 2009 a.t.b.**

"And then Nunnally jumped out of the bush growling, 'Arwoohaaa!' Lelouch shrieked and I swear nearly passed out in fright. She did such a good job with the mud and leaves and twigs. The whole prank had to have taken hours to execute, but I suppose it's not like kids have anything better to do with their time."

Nearly ten-thousand kilometres away in Japan, Naoto smiled indulgently as his little sister rambled on about her time in Britannia with their dad. He was so glad he lived in the Future; video calls made their family's separation so much easier to bear. He did have one little niggle, though.

"You do realise _you're_ a kid, right?"

"I mean, I guess," Kallen said. Her sullen pout really was adorable. "But Nunnally, Milly, and Euphie don't have nearly as much to do. I have to catch up with etiquette and such, which they've already formally learnt, and then there's fencing lessons with Marianne, and she teaches me how to pilot the Ganymede when she's around."

"Uh-huh," Naoto said, hoping to divert another passionate homage to 'how awesome real life giant robots were'. "You've told me."

"Well, I'm _also_ learning French."

Naoto quirked his eyebrows. That was news to him, although he supposed it made sense. Kallen was going to grow up to be _important_ ; knowing the most commonly spoken language in the EU would be invaluable.

" _And_ I always have to keep ahead of Milly now that I'm her target as much as Lelouch."

As hard as it was, Naoto resisted rolling his eyes at that one.

"Oh, and I'm also ahead of all three of them in my regular studies, and Milly is a year older than me."

"Now _there_ is something I like to hear," Naoto said. "I see you're taking well to homeschooling."

"Well, yes," Kallen admitted, "but mostly because I have to _crush_ Lelouch."

"You sound cross."

Kallen pursed her lips.

"So what happened?"

The only answer Naoto received was an incomprehensible mumble.

"What was that? Please speak up."

"It's nothing. He beat me on a maths exam is all."

"I see." _I'll have to ask Dad for the whole story. It must have been a resounding defeat._ "Beat him on the next one, then."

"Can't," Kallen mumbled. Then more clearly, she continued, "He always gets perfects. I get them, too, but how do you beat that?"

"A most devious conundrum indeed."

"You're not taking me seriously," Kallen rather correctly accused.

"Can you blame me? I only have two terms left in my undergrad. I'm a wee bit beyond fractions."

"We just started pre-algebra, I'll have you know."

"So fancy fractions."

"Naoto-nii!"

Relenting, Naoto said, "I'm glad to hear my little sister is still brilliant. How is your Britannian history?"

Kallen flinched before she could help herself. "Lelouch and I both agreed that doesn't count. Besides, I'm catching up!"

The faint sound of a knock came from Kallen's end of the conversation. She said, "Come in!" and then disappeared from the video. Sometime later, her microphone having only picked up incomprehensible noise in the interim, she returned with a guest.

The boy was impeccably dressed as expected. He stood tall and looked far more adult than he had any right to be. An indescribable aura of authority accompanied him despite his age. Something about how he held himself said he knew you knew he was important without a single word being spoken.

Naoto blinked, then looked between the prince and Kallen. With the two of them standing right beside each other, Kallen looked much the same. How had Naoto _not_ noticed that happening?

"I'm not sure you two have ever been introduced," Kallen said. "This is His Imperial Highness, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of the Realm. Lelouch, this is my brother Naoto Kōzuki. As you know, our family situation is complicated."

"A pleasure to meet you," Prince Lelouch said.

"Uh, likewise, Your Highness," Naoto replied. He shrugged off the oddness of the formal introduction. "Thank you for taking care of my little sister. I know things were tough for her until she met you and your sisters."

"Well, met a couple of them," Prince Lelouch said. "I imagine life would have gotten much worse for her if she'd met Carine or Guinevere instead, and the less said about the fourth princess the better."

"Oh, I met _her_ ," Kallen said flatly. "I had the pleasure of Igraine gi Britannia's company for nearly an entire minute a couple months ago before excusing myself. I was _this close_ to throwing my wine at her."

"Wait," Naoto said, cutting off what he was sure was about to turn into a impassioned rant. "Dad is letting you drink at _your_ age?"

"Not in the way _you_ engaged in underage drinking." Naoto flinched at the words. Kallen had him there. She then added simply, "The culture is different here."

Naoto faked a cough. "Anyway," he said, veering the topic away, "with both of you here, I suppose I should do the brotherly thing and ask how you're doing. It's been a little over a month now since the incident, hasn't it?"

"Ah…" Kallen trailed off into silence as her head tilted down. Just off screen, Naoto swore he saw Prince Lelouch grasp her hand. While he was unsure how to feel about that, he did privately concede that those two were too young for him to risk threatening a prince over his precious little sister's happiness.

Regardless, Kallen recovered quickly. "I'm fine. It happened. If it had to happen, I wouldn't change anything. I wouldn't want to put my safety in _his_ " – she pointed at Prince Lelouch – "hands."

"Oi!" For better or worse, it looked like Prince Lelouch was now keeping his hands to himself. "I'd have done well enough. With the surprise attack I spoon-fed to you, the only thing you needed to know was 'pointy end first'."

"Hardly," Kallen protested. "You're neither precise nor accurate. Come challenge me again in a hundred–"

Naoto interrupted what felt like a well-trodden spat in one form or another with a shrill whistle. That got the kids' attention back onto him. "I'm glad you're both apparently doing well and have each other," he said. "That's all I wanted to know."

Kallen and Prince Lelouch looked to each other then shrugged. The latter subsequently asked, "Kallen told me you're in your undergraduate education. What are you hoping to do…" After a moment of hesitation, Prince Lelouch whispered to Kallen, "What do I call your brother?"

Having overheard the aside, Naoto said, "Kōzuki, Stadtfeld, or Naoto is fine, Your Highness. I get all three. Just pick one and stick with it."

After dwelling on it for a moment, humming, Prince Lelouch said, "I feel like any choice would, in the wrong company, imply things you wouldn't like."

"I highly doubt I will ever be in the presence of the wrong company," Naoto returned.

"A fair point. Very well. Just Lelouch is fine with me, too, then, Naoto-san?" Prince Lelouch looked to Kallen, who shook her head.

"Don't. I slip sometimes, but I'm bilingual. Just don't."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Naoto added. "I suffer enough Engrish on this side of the Pacific, thank you."

"Fine. Anyway, as I was originally asking, what were you hoping to do with your degree?"

"Well," Naoto began, "I'm a more or less a political history major. I intend to go into law school after graduating, but we'll have to see if I pass the LSAT first."

"Of course you will," Kallen insisted.

"Ah," Lelouch said. He then commented, "I'd invite you to study Britannian law and extend a job offer, but I honestly don't think that'd be a good idea."

"No, that's fine," Naoto said. "I don't need you or Dad getting into trouble, anyway. I can find a job on my own."

Lelouch looked to Kallen and quirked an eyebrow.

Hesitantly, Naoto asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, not really," Kallen said. "Lelouch is just confused because nepotism is the status quo here."

"Ah," Lelouch said in the background.

Meanwhile, Kallen added, "To be fair, the system _works_ , so it's not _blind_ nepotism."

"Uh-huh…" After getting a shrug from Kallen, Naoto said, "Well, I should get going. I have class soon."

"Alright. Later."

Naoto quickly said his goodbyes as well before Kallen closed the connection on her end. Alone once more, he leaned back in his seat and let out a slow, contented sigh. Life was good, if not always easy. For him, at least, nothing much had changed yet; he received more frequent visits from his mother, and that was about it.

A brief rap-tap came, and Naoto's bedroom door opened.

"Hey, Naoto. Ready to go?"

Rotating his chair away from his computer, Naoto couldn't help but compare his own best friend to Kallen's. It was rude to think it, but some part of his mind labelled Ohgi Kaname as the perfect everyman. Where the prince was already growing up handsome, Kaname's only truly distinguishing feature was his curly brown hair. Where the prince was naturally gifted, Kaname had to study hard to do as well. Where the prince was born to power, Kaname wanted nothing more than to be a primary school teacher.

In truth, Kaname was so easy to overlook compared to the other company that had touched Naoto's life growing up. Luckily, he'd had the wisdom as a kid to take the man as a friend. And yet it was such an odd thought.

 _How can two people born to such similar circumstances experience such divergent lives?_ Naoto let out a quiet snort. _Not that_ I _want to deal with politics, and assassins, and_ _certainly not Aunt Clarine. And really just Britannia in general._

"Ow," Naoto muttered in reflex, not that a mild rap on the head actually hurt.

"Now that you're awake, are you ready to go?"

"Ah, no, not quite. You just missed our favourite Ojō-sama."

"Oh? And how is Kallen-chan doing?"

"As well as ever, it seems. She's living in a political thriller while we're back here in a nice, quiet slice of life."

"Ah, if only we were in a romantic comedy," Kaname lamented.

"I didn't know you wanted to be a background character so much."

"Ouch! I'm wounded! _Clearly_ , I'm the protagonist at whom women inexplicably throw themselves."

"You keep telling yourself that, Kaname. Your future students will love your humour."

"Ha ha," was Kaname's deadpan response. "Anyway, hurry up, or we'll miss the bus. I'm not walking to Tokyo U."

"Yeah, yeah. Just let me pack my bag."

A half hour later on said bus, Naoto was busy reading for his first class of the day when Kaname let out a long sigh. Curious, he looked up and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Just reading the news," Kaname said. "The international stuff is depressing."

"The Britannian war machine marches ever on, I take it."

"Yeah… I don't understand why they're so successful."

Rather simply, Naoto replied, "A massive economy, a war-oriented culture, a series of charismatic rulers, and a lack of significant internal dissension."

"I more meant why the rest of the world just lets it all happen. What is Britannia up to now? Ten colonial areas?"

"If you're counting Indochina, yes." The truth was not pretty, but ignoring it would not make it go away. "As for why, I direct you to points one, two, three, and four. Take away any one, and Britannia crumbles, but its opponent needs all four itself to face the juggernaut. The Chinese Federation isn't able to outspend Britannia, and the EU has trouble focusing. The neutral countries – Japan, Australia, and the like – are too small to do anything alone, and the Middle Eastern Federation is just a mess in general.

"Personally, I hope the powers that be don't do anything too daft and draw Britannia's attention here next. That would be…unpleasant."

"Urgh. 'Unpleasant' doesn't come close to describing it." After a moment of browsing through the news on his phone, Kaname said, "At least all those political science courses are showing."

"History, Kaname. Political history. I'll leave actively participating in politics to my sister, thank you. I have a nice, comfortable, and hopefully quiet life lined up for myself."

Kaname hummed.

"What?" Naoto asked.

"Just wondering if Kallen-chan realises she's probably done more to hamper Britannia's war efforts in Indochina than anyone else. Ever since Marianne the Flash left the field, things have slowed down."

Chuckling, Naoto rolled his eyes. The thought was amusing, if wrong. "I highly doubt Empress Marianne is staying in Britannia _just_ to tutor my little sister. I think she was only physically in Indochina to begin with for research purposes."

Kaname shrugged. "Whatever keeps gundams out of the equation."

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
September 27, 2009 a.t.b.**

Although not as absurdly large and pristine as the land surrounding Aries Palace, the countryside around Stadtfeld Manor was nothing to be overlooked. It stood only a dozen minutes' ride from the southeastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. Astride her horse, Kallen looked out over her father's domain from five-hundred feet above. She had always lived a life of luxury, but sometimes it struck her exactly just _how much_ she had available to her.

"Something wrong?"

Kallen turned her gaze to watch Lelouch bring his own horse back around to a stop beside her.

"No, not really. Just thinking about how lucky I am, I guess."

"Lucky?" Lelouch looked at Kallen skeptically. "I suppose you could've been born a destitute Chinese peasant girl sold into slavery…"

Had they been closer, Kallen would have swatted Lelouch's arm in protest. "My life isn't _nearly_ that bad."

Holding up a hand, Lelouch started counting with his fingers. "Let's see. Nearly assassinated. Family split apart. Legitimacy in question by relatives who hate you. A brewing war endangering your mother and brother. A secret heritage that would make life difficult for you if discovered. Holding very unpopular beliefs in general."

Within the privacy of her own mind, Kallen conceded that maybe her life of privilege did, in fact, come with some major disadvantages.

"Lulu! Kallen!"

Lelouch flinched at the sound of Milly's voice. The girl was waving at them both from further up the trail. Along with her was Euphie, Nunnally, Reese, Cornelia, and that quiet girl, Anya Alstreim, who'd been sent to learn proper etiquette of all things from Marianne. Kallen was still trying to puzzle that one out, much less why Marianne had allowed it. The protective guard both Reese and Cornelia had organised had gone on ahead to secure their route and destination.

"Hurry up!"

"Let's not tempt Milly to come up with a punishment for some perceived slight," Kallen said. She urged her horse forward up the trail, and Lelouch fell in beside her.

Together, the entire group continued on up the mountainside. Reese led, and Cornelia brought up the rear. As today had proved unusually warm, they'd gathered up their little group to go swimming at a lovely secluded lake on the Stadtfeld family's property.

After a half-hour journey from Stadtfeld Manor, the group arrived at a crystal clear lake comfortably tucked away in a rocky area between two mountains. One end slowly drained down the mountainside in a quiet waterfall while the lake was fed from many small brooks flowing into it from all other sides. The water was a little cold, but even this high up, the day remained hot, humid, and otherwise miserable enough to enjoy the chill.

Nunnally and Milly took off first, tearing their clothes away as they ran to reveal swimsuits beneath. They jumped in together, wrapped up in two little balls to maximise their splashes. Cornelia and Reese set up camp nearby and went about basking in the sun and idly chatting with each other while Euphie took Anya off to play in the sand together. Lelouch and Kallen took their time getting used to the water's temperature on their own terms despite Nunnally's and Milly's best efforts to the contrary.

Some hours of fun both in the water and out later, Kallen found herself exhausted. She soon took to floating on her back and staring at the clouds. There were not many today, yet more than enough to idle away the rest of the afternoon.

"You, Kallen, are practically radiating melancholy." The voice was Lelouch's, and it came with the quiet swishes of parting water as he swam closer. "What's up?"

"It's nothing. Just thinking about earlier."

"The whole 'lucky' thing?"

Not really being in any position to nod, Kallen said, "Yeah. I'm just in one of those moods, I suppose. The kind that feel really profound and pensive but are actually mostly not. You know?"

"No. I am always profound."

Kallen splashed Lelouch as he so rightly deserved. That he had opted not to return the favour she took to mean he agreed with that fact.

"I guess what I'm thinking about right now is what am I going to do when I grow up," Kallen said. "I'm a rich, noble heiress who can do whatever she wants and has royalty as her closest friends. I'm not going to whine about how my brother has it easy, but… Well, I just… I'll have rather more of an impact on the world, I guess, for good, ill, or entirely pointless. And I don't know what to do with myself, you know?"

"Still no."

Kallen hummed, annoyed. "Well, what do you want to do, Mr Eleventh Prince? Your brothers and sisters will have all the important jobs to themselves before too long, and you're seventeenth in line for the throne."

"There's nothing wrong with just enjoying life and doing good where you can."

"Is that it?" Kallen asked. She had a very hard time connecting Lelouch with the concept of a regular philanthropist. "No secret ambitions?"

"If I told you, they would hardly be secret." The sarcasm was thick in Lelouch's tone.

Technically speaking, that was true. Still, Kallen was not about to give up. "I'll be your best friend."

The silence stretched far into awkward territory before Lelouch finally said, "You are."

"Oh."

In all honesty, when she really thought about it, Kallen herself felt much closer to Lelouch these days than Nunnally, Euphie, Milly, or the few friends she retained back in Japan. A little snort of amusement escaped her. If she jumped out a window, she could expect Lelouch to at least contemplate following. If she needed a training partner, Lelouch would grumble a bit and then agree. If she needed help with schoolwork, Lelouch was the person to go to – when they weren't competing, that was. If she was in a more feminine mood, but not enough to seek out Nunnally and Euphie, Lelouch would warily put up with it. Really, there was simply no need for her to be anything but Kallen Stadtfeld around him.

"Well, good. You're mine, too." After a momentary pause, Kallen said, "So about those secret ambitions."

"Still none."

"You're no fun." Kallen sighed. "Philanthropy, eh? I guess that wouldn't be so bad."

"It's not like you have to decide anything anytime soon." Lelouch's voice then took on a dangerous tone as he said, "Besides, you could always become a knightmare pilot to battle giant alien robots from outer space. Between Euphie, Nunnally, and myself, I'm sure one of us would even be willing to personally knight you."

Kallen took a deep breath and let herself sink beneath the surface. There she rode out her blush while the call for revenge grew ever stronger. She kicked off a large rock on the lake bed and darted over to Lelouch, where she pulled his legs out from under him and submerged him. She surfaced and laughed at the glare he had when he, too, came back above the water.

"You are asking for trouble."

"I'd like to see you try, nancy boy."

Lelouch lunged at Kallen, which she easily sidestepped. A smirk overtook her face as she saw the frustration show on his own. He lunged again to no effect. Kallen easily moved back and to her left to avoid him. When he tried again, she knew just the taunt to deliver.

"Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, you know."

And yet Lelouch came at her again with an even deeper scowl. This time, however, Kallen found herself stumbling over a large rock right behind her, which sent her onto her back. That left her wide open for him to dunk her below the surface. When she came back up, Lelouch now had a smirk of his own.

"True stupidity is expecting an intelligent opponent to be stupid."

"Oh, it is on now." Kallen leapt forward to grapple with Lelouch.

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
September 28, 2009 a.t.b.**

The next morning the group in its entirety had gathered together in the dining hall to partake of breakfast. Kallen could tell that Lelouch was still nursing a bit of a grudge against her glorious victory in single combat yesterday, but she passed over the opportunity to gloat.

Cornelia's phone rung. She took it out of her pocket and glanced at it.

"Gottwald. Sorry, I have to take this." Cornelia rose from her chair and finally answered her phone after she was nearly out the door. Five seconds later, a thunderous, "What?" boomed through the manor. Much quieter but still with a great sense of urgency, she then said, "No, no one outside the staff and family should know they're here, although it's an obvious enough guess."

A few more seconds passed in absolute silence as Kallen and Lelouch first looked to each other before then silently asking if Nunnally or Euphie knew what was going on. Unsurprisingly, they did not.

"No, they'll be safer here than travelling. I'll be there as soon as I can. Within the hour if I catch the wind." A few seconds passed in silence before what was almost certainly the sound of a fist impacting a wall _hard_ broke it.

Cornelia stepped back into the dining room, but only barely. "Lord Stadtfeld, keep the children in the manor. _All of them_."

Certainly recognising that for the obvious royal edict that it was, Reese nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Cornelia," Euphie said with more than a bit of trepidation in her voice. Cornelia paused in her rush out the door to glance back. "What happened?"

It took a few seconds for Cornelia to decide what to say, and that only worried Kallen all the more. Judging by their expressions, Euphie and Nunnally felt the same way. Lelouch's face, though, looked ashen. He must have picked up on something that Kallen had missed.

"I'll tell you later," Cornelia eventually said. "I need to leave immediately."

By the time Cornelia was out the door, Lelouch had schooled his expression into a tight frown. Kallen was not fooled, but apparently no one else had noticed his initial reaction.

"What do you think happened?" Nunnally asked no one in particular.

"I hope Mum isn't hurt," Euphie said. Kallen thought it was a good guess, but there was no way Lelouch would have gotten so worked up over Euphie's and Cornelia's mother, and none of them held any particular love for the emperor.

"Agreed," Nunnally quietly said. She then asked, "Clovis, maybe? Schneizel?"

"Maybe…" Euphie was as sceptical of that as Kallen, judging by her tone.

"You don't think something happened to Aries Villa while we were all away, do you?"

 _While we were all away?_

"That'd make sense," Milly said. "Cornelia _is_ the captain of the guard for your home. That'd explain why she left in such a rush."

Alstreim continued to say nothing but silently nodded.

 _That wouldn't explain why Cornelia refused to say anything, though._ One glance at Lelouch silently picking at his food with his head down told Kallen he agreed with her. _That name, Gottwald. Where have I heard it before…_

A few seconds later, the memory struck Kallen. _That guard who caught Lelouch when he jumped out the window. So it_ does _have something to do with the villa. Then Lelouch's and Cornelia's reactions–_

Kallen stifled a gasp.

 _No! Marianne!_

The idea was impossible, practically blasphemy. Treason, even! Marianne was so strong and too smart to fall into a trap. But when Kallen thought about it, the only explanation for her observations had to be that something terrible had happened to Marianne at Aries Villa. And with almost no one there the past several days, no one would have been around to help her.

Seeing as Lelouch had not said a word himself, Kallen similarly kept out of the ensuing conversation as much as possible. She so wanted to believe her reasoning was full of holes. Life wasn't supposed to be like stories. She wasn't supposed to lose her mentor. Lelouch and Nunnally weren't supposed to lose their mother.

Kallen was not feeling very optimistic.

* * *

The door to Lelouch's room opened just as Kallen expected. She'd left breakfast first and made her way to where she'd correctly assumed Lelouch would hole himself up. He walked right by her without even noticing. Despite the circumstances, Kallen found a hint of amusement in that. She was hardly trying to hide herself, leaned up against the foot of his bed as she was. It made her feel just a little bit lighter; she could be what Lelouch needed right now.

 _One. Two. Three._ Kallen counted to twenty-four while watching Lelouch brood and pace with a scowl on his face. He then jumped in surprise, having finally noticed her presence.

"Kallen! What – where did you come from?"

"I've been standing here the whole time."

Lelouch had no response to that. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. I can't claim to know exactly what's going on in your head, but I've endured being separated from my mother and brother. It was…hard, at first. I needed a friend so much back then, but I wouldn't meet you, Nunnally, and Euphie for weeks and weeks yet. Nunnally is probably going to need all of us to be strong for her, but until then, I'm all yours. Whatever you need."

It took a few seconds for Lelouch to gather himself. "You figured it out?"

"You sound so sceptical. I'm insulted."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow.

"Seeing your expression when you did helped," Kallen admitted. "No one else was paying attention, though."

"Good."

"But I don't think it'll take Dad long to guess. If he hasn't already. There aren't many reasons Cornelia would leave like that without saying why, and one of them was eating breakfast with us."

"Will he say anything?"

Kallen shook her head. "I don't think so. Not until he knows for sure what happened, at least."

"I hope you're right. I don't want Nunnally to see me right now."

Her gaze drifted down, where Kallen noted that Lelouch's hands were curled into fists. One had his nails digging into his palm, and the other was crushing a roll he must have taken with him from breakfast.

Not terribly sure what she should be doing, Kallen kept her tone solemn and allowed only the slightest hint of levity to enter it. "And Euphie and Milly, too, I suppose. Are my delicate sensibilities of no concern to you?"

Lelouch let out an angry snort. Apparently, he saw the humour in the question, if nothing else. "You're whatever I need right now, if I remember correctly."

"True."

"Besides, what did _you_ feel when you found out your parents were getting divorced just for you to be _acknowledged_ as your father's daughter?"

 _Fierce burning hate, anger, and smoldering guilt._ The answer came without prompting or filtering. It showed on Kallen's face, too, and she felt no shame in it. Those were not emotions to show Nunnally or Euphie, however – Cornelia, perhaps, and _maybe_ Milly, but not those two.

Lelouch hurled his crushed bread into the rubbish, nearly knocking the entire bin over with the force of it. "I hate this. My mother is dead or dying, and I'm stuck here. Worse, I'd just get in the way if I did anything. This feeling…"

"I'm sure you'll get justice, if not revenge."

A dry laugh escaped Lelouch. "Not even going to pretend it might've been an accident?"

"Are you?"

The question was rhetorical, but Lelouch answered it anyway. "Is that what you're going to do to the Stadtfelds when you have the power? Revenge?"

"It'd be a lie to say I haven't entertained the idea on occasion. Just as I'm sure you are already."

Lelouch's wry smile really said everything for him. "The only question is who?"


	4. R0 S04 - Without Marianne's Aegis

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round Zero  
Stage 04 - Without Marianne's Aegis

 **Pendragon County Court  
Pendragon, Britannia  
November 13, 2009 a.t.b.**

"Having heard all of the arguments for and against the Ashford Research Foundation's claim, it is the decision of this court that it cannot hold the exclusive rights to research, develop, and produce 'knightmares'."

One simple sentence, that was all it took to destroy everything.

"While the Ashford Research Foundation retains the rights to the 'Ganymede' and all derivative products, for the glory and wellbeing of the empire, the court upholds Pacific Robotics's patents on its 'Glasgow' and 'slash harkens' and all the rights therein."

A bang of a gavel.

"Case dismissed."

Quietly, Ruben Ashford slipped out of the courtroom and into the lobby. He moved with as much grace as he could muster and disappeared into the hallways. There he found the office given to him for his legal team's use today. He entered the meeting room within, and only there did he allow his mask to crack.

"Father?"

Seated not far away was Ruben's eldest son, Grey Ashford, and his wife, Atia Ashford née Eliot, and thankfully only them. Grey looked every inch his father's son from the wavy blonde locks to the broad shoulders and hairy arms. Atia, of course, was where Milly got her slender frame and, in all likelihood, bewitching good looks. Her own blonde hair had prevailed against Atia's brown, an Ashford through and through.

Ruben buried a hand into his grey hair and trudged his way to his seat at the head of the table. He collapsed there, staring forward, not yet ready to meet his son's eyes.

 _How could things go so wrong so quickly…_

"Father," Grey said with a voice that held far too much confidence. "We can take this higher."

 _Higher?_ Despite everything, a snort of amusement escaped Ruben. "The only place we can take this is six feet under to Her Majesty." _Strange how it's_ me _who lost his patron in the end, isn't it, Marianne?_

"Ruben, it's not over ye–"

"Atia." That one word from Ruben was enough to silence her. "It's over. Any further appeal would be a waste of our remaining funds. The success of our project is our own undoing. Such irony."

Indeed, Ruben had seen this coming from the very moment he'd heard of Marianne's passing. Knightmare technology would have _far_ too big of an impact for the army not to pursue it in every available avenue. Without Marianne and the leverage she provided, what was there to be done?

"Our sources say that Pacific Robotics will have their Glasgow completed within six to eight months. Without control of the knightmare market for a few years, we won't be able to recoup our losses in development," Grey stated.

"Yes, we will not. The Ashfords will forever be remembered as the ones who made it possible, not the ones who profited from it."

"We still have some time," Atia said. "We can reclaim some of our investment."

Ruben shook his head. "The Ganymede isn't combat ready. Only monsters like Marianne or Lord Waldstein can use it effectively."

"The Stadtfeld girl–"

"Is also a prodigy," Ruben finished. "The scientists at the lab started calling them Aces. Describing them as rare doesn't do the truth justice if the statistics Pacific Robotics has provided are anywhere close to accurate. While the Ganymede outperforms the Glasgow, it's also exponentially more difficult to not die in."

 _Ah, I'm growing cynical._ Ruben sighed to himself.

"That's it!" Grey pounded a fist against his opposing palm. "We market it as a more expensive high-end device for Aces."

For a brief moment, Ruben smiled, proud. Still, he said, "It won't be enough, but it could help. But in proposing solutions, you've failed to identify the fundamental problem."

Ruben drew only blank stares from that.

"We are beset by enemies. We made no friends bringing Marianne and the emperor into each other's orbit. There are plenty of people who want to see every last trace of her influence removed from court, too, meaning us, her children, her men in the army, possibly even the Stadtfelds. A few will be willing to throw money and lives away just to ruin us."

The silence that followed felt as heavy as the grief Ruben did his best to bury just to function. Some part of him was glad he'd never gotten around to formally adopting Marianne.

"What are we going to do?"

Ruben turned to glance at his son, who'd broken the silence. "We need to not have enemies. We can turn them, we can destroy them, we can run from them, or we can be beneath their notice. We have nothing to turn them with, we don't have enough resources to destroy them, and we have nowhere to run that they can't follow."

One second passed, then two.

"Ruben!" Atia said, jumping to her feet. She slammed her palms on the table for emphasis. "You cannot be serious!"

"Our guards have been working overtime, Atia. Sayoko hasn't returned from whatever mission Marianne sent her on as well. I would gladly relinquish my title and bow out of all this" – Ruben gestured out the window to Pendragon – "to ensure we live, thrive, and survive."

"No! That can't – where would we go?" Atia said. "What would we do?"

It was a callous gamble and a heartless conjecture, but it was the only good option Ruben saw before him for the Ashford family. "I'm open to suggestions, but I believe we could build a cosy niche for ourselves in Area Eleven if we get involved in the rebuilding efforts."

"Father," Grey said, hesitantly, "there is no Area Eleven. There's not even an Area Ten yet, officially."

"Just give it six to eight months."

* * *

 **Alec la Britannia International Airport  
Pendragon, Britannia  
December 6, 2009 a.t.b.**

Euphemia wished the capital were on the west coast, or the desert, or really just further south would be fine. True, there was tradition and history in the Imperial Palace, a building slowly grown from nothing into a grand structure half the size of Pendragon itself. Discarding that would feel wrong, to say the least, nevermind that uprooting the imperial family would invoke not too distant memories of the Humiliation.

But it was cold, and winter hadn't even set in yet. It was so cold. Euphemia already felt cold inside. She had no need of cold weather to freeze her within _and_ without. Even her tears threatened to turn to ice.

"I hope you're happy, Lelouch. This is the best birthday present I could get you."

"Dammit, Milly. Just because I constantly wish you'd go away doesn't mean I want you to leave."

"Do you even listen to yourself?" With a weak smile, Milly leaned forward to pull Lelouch into a hug. When they broke apart, she said, "Then consider your present me staying until your party yesterday."

Lelouch nodded and exchanged places with Kallen.

"I'm going to miss you, Milly. You kept me on my toes."

Milly gave a weak laugh, clearly putting as much heart into it as she could. "I'll miss causing you and Lelouch trouble. I'd have liked more time to get to know you."

"Japan is…was…my home. I'll be back someday."

"How ironic," Milly said. "Here I am escaping to Japan when you escaped from it."

"Just keep off the mainland and stay hidden."

After another hug, Milly traded Kallen for Nunnally.

"Ah, my partner in crime."

"Do you have to go?" Nunnally asked. "Lelouch and I are staying with Kallen."

Milly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Nunnally. I wish I could stay with our little patchwork family, but I have to go. We can still share ideas, but I entrust Lelouch's torment to you."

Beside her, Euphemia noticed Lelouch's eye twitch. Then after an especially clingy hug, it was finally her turn to say goodbye.

"This isn't how it was supposed to be," Euphemia said. She hated that she was already crying.

"No, Dear, it wasn't." Milly swooped in for an early hug and pulled Euphemia tight.

"First Marianne, then Cornelia was transferred overseas two weeks later. I was just beginning to break through Anya's shell, but she left, too. Now you're leaving. I can't even stay with Lelouch, Nunnally, and Kallen anymore often than usual. Why is this happening to us?"

"Wanna run away to Japan with me?"

Euphemia chuckled, albeit weakly. "I can't do that. Maybe when things settle down, Nunnally and I can come join you for school."

"That'd be wonderful. No Kallen and Lelouch, though? Are you protecting them now, too?"

"Heh. No, no. Lelouch is sprinting through material faster than ever, and you know Kallen. She refuses to lose. They'll be done with comprehensive school before they turn sixteen, I'm sure."

"What swots," Milly said, a smile on her face. She lowered her voice and asked, "They're up to something, then?"

Euphemia shrugged. "Promise to call?"

"Of course! I wouldn't want anyone to go into withdrawal from lack of me."

Naturally, Lelouch heard that and scoffed. Euphemia could almost feel Kallen rolling her eyes, too.

"Alright!" Milly spun in place and took the first few steps up the stairs to her family's private jet. Fallen from grace or not, the Ashfords were still wealthy. "Goodbye, everyone! Hopefully, I'll be seeing you all again soon. Lelouch, don't you dare block my calls!"

"Begone, you demon," Lelouch returned.

"Love you, too!"

With that, Milly returned to her climb to the sound of final goodbyes from the rest of the group. The door to the aeroplane slammed shut, and they took that as their cue to depart. Sadly, it was too cold to watch her take off.

"Kallen."

Euphemia's ears perked up at the barely audible sound of Lelouch over the roar of jet engines as they walked.

"Hmm?" While Kallen might have said something more, Euphemia didn't catch it.

"I've been thinking about going home."

A second passed before Kallen asked, "Are you sure that's wise?"

"No, but I've intruded upon your and your Dad's safety long enough."

"And Nunnally?"

Another second passed in relative silence, and then Lelouch finally said, "I don't know."

Kallen sighed. "We'll discuss this later."

Having overheard enough, Euphemia sighed herself. All she wanted was for the people she cared about to be together and happy. Or if not happy, then together would do, and then maybe they, _together_ , could work out how to be happy. Was that really so much to ask?

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
January 3, 2010 a.t.b.**

Everything was ready for the next interview. Lelouch's desk was tidied without seeming empty. The hidden camera was once more recording. A picture of his once happy and complete family rested in easy sight on the off chance it tripped up anyone with a guilty conscience. And, of course, the one person he trusted implicitly to watch his back _and_ to support his choices was once again out of sight.

As he waited, Lelouch read through the dossier on his next appointment with only half his attention. The other half continued to dwell on uncouth memories.

" _Naoto, it's Lelouch."_

" _Well, this is unusual. What's up? My sister's birthday isn't until the end of March, if you're calling for present ideas."_

" _No. I…need to ask something of Kallen. I have no right to, she won't like doing it, and it's beneath her. What would be the best way for me to go about doing that?"_

 _After a few seconds, Naoto asked, "Is it important?"_

" _Extremely."_

" _Will she be hurt?"_

 _A moment of hesitation, and then Lelouch said, "Unlikely."_

" _I see."_

 _For a few agonising seconds, Lelouch waited for Naoto's response in perfect silence._

" _Alright. Let me explain the cultural significance of a dogeza."_

A knock came at the door, breaking Lelouch out of his thoughts. He closed the dossier on one Erick Petersen and tucked it away into a drawer.

"Enter!"

And so Lelouch found himself face to face with yet another in a long line of guards. The regular staff members would come later after he dealt with the ones who carried guns.

"Good afternoon, Mr Petersen," Lelouch began. "I've asked you here to help me obtain a clearer picture of what happened the night of September twenty-seventh. While the previous investigation concluded that my mother's assassination was the work of foreign terrorists" – and boy, was that hard to say without growling – "the actual _how_ was never established before the investigation was terminated and your previous captain was sent overseas.

"Obviously, given the state of the guard at the time, there's very little information we have to work with. However she came to be here that night and for whatever reason, my mother only has herself to blame for that. That said, I will not accept a repeat incident. Tell me everything you remember in the days leading up to and just after the twenty-seventh."

And the guard did. Mr Petersen told Lelouch of how then Captain Cornelia had scheduled him to stand watch up to the twenty-sixth before taking the next few days off. He told Lelouch of going home to visit his parents in California. He told Lelouch of being summoned back early with all due haste on the morning of the twenty-eighth.

Mr Petersen told Lelouch nothing he'd not heard before.

Lelouch pushed for more detail – anything odd, new faces seen in the general vicinity of Aries Villa, unexpected phone calls, wrong numbers.

"Thank you for your time," Lelouch said, not getting anything useful. "Dismissed."

Once the room was cleared, the door shut, and the hidden camera off, Lelouch let his scowl show.

 _Well, what did you expect?_ A small part of Lelouch asked himself. He hated that voice. It sounded like Kallen telling him off for being an idiot. _Cornelia had_ some _time to investigate, and she has far more experience than you do. She's not incompetent._

Of course, Lelouch knew finding his mother's killer would be harder than asking a few questions and putting the pieces together. Still, if he found _no_ clues, his only resort would be to hunt down her enemies one by one. Which, come to think of it, would probably be wise to do _anyway_. They were, after all, _enemies_. The problem there, though, was that half the imperial court hated her on principle alone.

Tucked away beside the door to the office was a tall but narrow cabinet. The door to it opened, and Kallen emerged. Inside, Lelouch saw the laptop she had operating the camera allowing her to observe the room and record the interviews. The silenced pistol he'd given her rested atop the keyboard.

" _L-Lelouch? What are you doing?"_

 _From the ground, Lelouch buried his pride and spoke. "Kallen, I must trespass upon our friendship and beg a favour of you. You…" He paused, fumbling for the words he'd thought so well practised ahead of time. "I – Kallen, you are the only piece_ I _have on the board. You are a queen. But for just one day, I need a knight to protect me while I sort out my mother's pawns."_

" _Protect you?" Kallen echoed, and it took her no longer to understand Lelouch's meaning. Her voice quieted. "You mean like I did before?"_

" _Mother and Cornelia are – were expert judges of character. I don't anticipate any problems. But if necessary, yes. If anyone wants to get me alone to kill me, they'll have their opportunity."_

 _Kallen breathed slowly and deeply._

"Nothing new with that one," Kallen said. "I can't say I'm surprised, but he seems loyal enough."

Lelouch snapped out of his memory. "Quite," he said. "Were you watching his face?"

"No, mostly his hands and feet. It's easier to tell if someone is going to fall into your trap that way," Kallen said with a slight frown. She still disapproved of Lelouch using himself as bait, it seemed, but that was no surprise. "Why?"

"I think he was one of the guards who found my mother attractive."

Kallen giggled. "Lelouch, nearly everyone found Marianne attractive. I think you mean Mr Petersen was _infatuated_ with her."

"Yes, well, he can stay." When Nunnally grew up, though, Lelouch was going to have to rethink some the Aries Villa's hiring practises.

"I take it you won't be promoting this pawn to a knight, either, hmm?"

Lelouch felt his eye twitch. "Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Never, Chess Boy," Kallen said in perfect seriousness. "Be glad I'm not going to tell Milly you referred to me as your queen."

Lelouch shifted uneasily within his chair and decided to change the topic. "Anyway, no. You read his dossier?" After getting a nod, he continued, "He's not what I'm looking for in a knight or a captain of the guard. Not much leadership experience on record nor any known grasp of strategy or tactics. I wish I had time to play everyone in chess, but c'est la vie. Regardless, he didn't strike me as someone I'd especially enjoy having following me around protecting me. Unless you've noticed something I missed, I'll pass."

"Nope. Now who's next?"

From a drawer, Lelouch withdrew his schedule for today. "Ah. Jeremiah Gottwald."

"Oh, I remember him. He seemed nice. He was the one who found Marianne's body, right?"

Lelouch nodded. "With any luck, he'll have a more enlightening story than the others."

* * *

Today was not a good day. The very heavens themselves raged and wept for the loss the world suffered. The unrelenting blizzard refused rest to all as its frozen fingers invaded Aries Villa through any imperfection it could find.

Jeremiah shivered as a sudden chill blew past him and vanished. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a curtain move. Investigating, he found the window closed, but the seal was in need of repair. He'd thought all the damage to the villa had been mended, but perhaps that had been wishful thinking. Like so many other things, he had to wonder if it even _could_ be fixed.

After reporting the problem to maintenance, Jeremiah found himself once more with nothing but his own thoughts to occupy his time. He clutched the manila envelope in his hands all the tighter. Within was the only option he saw for preserving even the slightest scraps of his honour, disgraced and wanting as he was.

But perhaps resigning was an undeserved honour. The prince wanted to see him soon. Perhaps he would simply be unceremoniously dismissed for his failure. Jeremiah expected no less. He deserved no less than a dishonourable discharge.

Wandering the grand halls of Aries Villa, Jeremiah paused to look out each window. It seemed fitting that the weather denied him even the pleasure of one last view of the natural beauty of the villa's grounds.

And then it was time to face the living symbol of his failure. Jeremiah knocked on the door to the office his prince had commandeered for the foreseeable future. From within came what sounded like a cabinet and a few drawers closing, and then at last came the command.

"Enter."

Breathing deeply, Jeremiah steeled his resolve and did as bidden. And there he was. Prince Lelouch looked so much older than the last time Jeremiah had seen him. A paltry couple of months should never have such an effect upon a child, yet they had.

"Close the door."

Jeremiah did. He took a few steps forward and fell to one knee. The hand not holding his resignation came to a rest clenched atop his heart. "Your Highness, you summoned me?"

Nodding, Prince Lelouch gestured to the chair on the other side of his desk. "Take a seat."

And Jeremiah did.

"According to the records your previous captain left behind, you were on duty the night of the twenty-seventh. While I'm aware that the previous investigation was formally concluded, it never determined _how_ the actual attack was carried out. I _do not_ like holes in my security."

"Your Highness, I will tell you anything you wish to know."

"Then you can start by explaining the events leading up to that night and the immediate aftermath, in particular how you came to discover my mother's body."

And so Jeremiah told his tale. Sadly, he knew he had little useful information to impart. He spoke of how he'd been tasked with the first shift of the day for the entire week the vi Britannias would be absent, being given the following week off after that. He told of how he'd been assigned to inspect the house as soon as he had daylight to work with. He explained how he'd found Her Majesty's body on the grand staircase just inside the main entryway.

"I want to hear firsthand what you saw."

Jeremiah hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Getting a nod, Jeremiah proceeded to describe the horrible image burnt into his mind.

"I'd just unlocked the doors and stepped inside. As soon as I saw Her Majesty lying on the stairs, I rushed over to help her. It was only when I drew near that I realised there was nothing to be done. I called Captain – that is General Cornelia immediately before calling in backup to secure the scene. When I proved unable to find any suspects nearby, I moved to inspect the body.

"There was…blood. Although a bullet was found in Empress Marianne's brain, we believe she died of exsanguination. At the time, her blood could be found scattered through the villa. She left a trail from the parlour upstairs down to the main entrance, weaving between rooms and cover. From the bruising, she likely acquired the first shot to her leg there and fell partway down the staircase.

"From there…"

"Continue," Prince Lelouch said after Jeremiah had lapsed for too long.

"From there, Her Majesty was shot several more times. Once in each knee directly on the patella, once in each shoulder, a few times in the arms, once in the stomach, and ultimately in the brain from the left side of the skull. Excepting the last, each shot appears to have been made to cripple while minimising blood loss. It's very likely that Her Majesty…engaged in conversation with her killer before she finally died."

Prince Lelouch blinked. His mouth opened, but no words came out at first. "That is…more…extreme than the report Cornelia gave me indicated."

"I'm sure Her Highness was merely trying to spare you the details," Jeremiah said.

"If Nunnally asks for details, you will tell her the bare essentials. Understood?"

Jeremiah's eyes briefly twitched toward his resignation, but that could wait for the moment. "Yes, Your Highness. If it's of any comfort, Her Majesty went down fighting. A number of used and discarded weapons were found with her fingerprints on them. We did also find blood belonging to the suspect as well as Her Majesty's."

"Suspect? Singular?"

"We were unable to identify any further sources but never ruled out the possibility of accomplices."

"I see." Prince Lelouch then asked, "Were there any matches to the blood you found?"

"None on record."

"Unsurprising. Disappointing, but unsurprising. Did you notice anything unusual outside of your shift?"

"No, Aries Villa was very quiet leading up to the incident. No one has even yet puzzled out how Her Majesty managed to make it into the villa without notice."

"It doesn't have to be about the villa itself," Prince Lelouch pressed. "Any wrong numbers? Post accidentally delivered to you? An unusual face fleetingly glimpsed? Anything?"

"N–" A thought occurred but was as quickly dismissed. "No."

"You hesitated. Tell me."

It really bore no relevance, but Jeremiah supposed he owed his prince at least enough to answer. "I received a call from a friend I'd made during my university days. We'd been trying to arrange a time for our circle of friends to get together for a reunion, and he told me the date had been set for the one I'd suggested the day before the incident. Only I've not been able to recall ever making such a suggestion."

After a few seconds of thought, Prince Lelouch asked, "Have you suffered any head injuries in the past year?"

"No."

"When and where would the initial call supposedly have occurred?"

"I was off duty nearby in Pendragon on the twenty-sixth in the afternoon."

"Alcohol?"

"Certainly not, Your Highness!"

"I'd actually have preferred to write it off as such," Prince Lelouch said, a wry expression on his face. "Were you in any position where being distracted could have possibly allowed someone to sneak past you?"

"Not that I can recall, Sir."

The prince hummed. "Strange. Very well, then. Thank you for your time. You may return to your duties."

Now was the time. "Your Highness, there was something I wished to speak of with you." Jeremiah sat up the tiniest bit straighter and placed the envelope containing his resignation on the desk. He pushed it across, and the prince then opened it.

"You're resigning?"

"With your permission, Your Highness. I was near Aries Villa every hour of every day. I was the one who inspected the villa. I was the one tasked with detecting intrusions. Yet I failed to keep Her Majesty safe. I cannot even tell you how or when either she herself or her assailant entered the premises or for how long they stayed. I'm not worthy of service."

Prince Lelouch snorted. "This situation is as much my mother's making as anyone else's. Regardless, if that's how you feel, then I accept your resignation. I will require you to stay until we can find a replacement, however."

"Understood. Thank you, Your Highness. It's been an honour serving the vi Britannias. I only wish I'd not been found so wanting."

When Jeremiah left the prince's office, he let out a long breath. He'd quit his job. He'd confessed his failure to his prince. In the end, he'd not been blamed, but he'd needed that off his chest.

No, today was not a good day, but it felt just a little bit better.

* * *

Kallen stepped out of her cabinet looking as uneasy with what she'd heard as Lelouch felt. She took the same seat Gottwald had been in earlier and flumped down onto it without a word. There, she curled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her head on her knees.

Meanwhile, Lelouch was trying to organise his own thoughts. Cornelia had been purposefully lax on providing him with details of his mother's murder. Given that he'd just ordered Gottwald to do the same if Nunnally asked, he supposed it would only be fair not to be upset with her over that.

Glancing up, Lelouch took in the uncharacteristically vulnerable-looking Kallen before him.

"If you want to cry, cry," Lelouch plainly said. "I've certainly dealt with enough of Nunnally's tears not to get scared and run away."

Kallen managed a breathy chuckle. "Boys," she said. "I'm fine. I just need a moment."

Nodding, Lelouch returned to sorting out his thoughts. Before he could get very far, though, Kallen spoke up again.

"It sounds likes whoever killed Marianne did so for reasons beyond her just being… _her_."

"I agree," Lelouch said. It was nothing they'd not suspected, but confirmation was good. "Whoever did it was either after information or held a grudge. Probably both. No assassin professional enough to get into Aries Villa, even with the guard lowered, would waste time being pointlessly sadistic."

"I still don't understand why Marianne was _here_ , though."

"Neither do I. I'd thought perhaps Mum had been left here _after_ her death, but that doesn't fit the evidence. And even if that _was_ what happened, I'd not be able to tell you why someone would go to the effort. _Nothing_ about this makes any sense."

"So Gottwald," Kallen said.

Lelouch hummed, pulling out all the background information he had on the man from his drawer. "Do you remember how long he's been here?"

"Three years, I think. Long enough that I doubt he was a sleeper agent, if that's what you're asking."

Lelouch nodded and set about browsing through Gottwald's personal history for the second time today. "I doubt anyone who would want to strike at Mum would have an asset in place so long and _not_ avail themselves of it sooner, but it was a thought."

"He's the first to actually try resigning," Kallen observed. Lelouch noted that she used 'try' before replying.

"The man clearly has an overdeveloped sense of self-importance."

"Or an overdeveloped sense of loyalty and responsibility."

Lelouch's eye twitched. "Am I really so easy for you to read?"

Finally smiling again, Kallen shrugged. "What can I say? It's a gift."

"I see. As expected of my queen."

Kallen blushed, and Lelouch smirked. Two could play at her game; if she wasn't going to let him forget that, he could use it, too.

"I wish I knew where Sayoko was," Lelouch said. "She would be the person I'd ask to do a more extensive background check." And to protect Nunnally, if he could pry her away from the Ashfords without feeling guilty.

"Cornelia hired him. Marianne approved him."

"Yes, that will have to be enough for now. According to his records, Gottwald's physical skills leave nothing to be desired, and he attended officer training."

"My vote would be for knight over captain of the guard," Kallen said.

"I was thinking both for now," Lelouch said. "I don't imagine I'll be gone from Aries Villa in the next few years long enough for it to be a problem. That or knight him when I turn sixteen and have more freedom to move about. I doubt a man like him would be lured away before then to further his career."

"True. We do still have a number of people to work through, though."

That they did. Lelouch exchanged Gottwald's dossier for his schedule. Finding the next name on his list, he found the woman's file and started reading. Kallen fetched her own copy and did the same.

Peering up over his file, Lelouch contemplated the girl in front of him. He was the king, of course. It was his life; if he died, the game was over for him.

 _My queen, eh?_

It was a fitting description. Kallen was brilliant. She was smart, strong, charming when she wanted to be, and would likely grow up to be a beautiful woman. She was nobility, wealthy independent of her father's title, and had been raised outside the normal aristocratic circles who believed in their own inherent superiority. When she reached her age of majority, Kallen Stadtfeld would be a queen in all but name.

 _If the world were at all fair, I wonder what I'd have given up to have Kallen in my life. She's saved my life twice over already, and probably Nunnally's, too…_

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
October 14, 2009 a.t.b.**

"You're what!"

From his own seat, Lelouch dug his nails into his palms in what he knew was a doomed attempt to control his anger. He snapped his mouth closed as Cornelia repeated herself for Euphie.

"I'm being transferred to the war front."

"But why?" Euphie asked.

 _To keep her out of the way,_ Lelouch growled to himself.

Sighing, Cornelia said, "Marianne was organising much of the war effort remotely from here through the Knights of the Round. I don't know them nearly as well, which limits my ability to let them run wild, and Father wants the war brought to a swift, decisive end."

"Can't Schneizel do it?" Nunnally asked, her voice bordering on begging. That earned her a pat on the head, if nothing else.

"Schneizel is busy being the Prime Minister. He's being run ragged these days keeping the EU and the Chinese Federation from interfering with us."

"Cornelia," Kallen began hesitantly, "what about the investigation?"

And there it was. Cornelia stiffened, and Lelouch fought ever harder not to explode, because he _knew_ what was coming without being told.

"We don't know how Marianne's assassin managed to enter Aries Villa nor why Marianne was there. We _have_ managed to identify what we believe to be the trail her assassin took to enter and leave the country. Unfortunately, the current political climate makes it impossible for us to pursue the matter further, so the investigation is being shut down."

The chorus of objections from the girls drowned out Cornelia. A shrill whistle from her soon quieted them. Her features then fell as she continued, "I hate to say it, but I don't think we're going to catch either the assassin or the mastermind behind the crime. By the time the EU would be willing to cooperate with us, assuming they're not responsible, the trail will have gone cold."

Unable to help himself, Lelouch scoffed. Cornelia said nothing, but she did raise her eyebrows.

"If it were _any_ of Father's other consorts," Lelouch said, barely keeping the venom seeping into his voice in check, "the entire imperial court would be in an uproar. They'd never let this go so easily. No one cares about commoner empresses. No one wants to catch whoever rid them of one."

Although frowning, Cornelia reluctantly admitted, "Marianne _was_ an outsider, but she wasn't as unloved as you imagine. Even so, Britannia isn't ready to declare war on the world. What would be different had it been someone else? The EU detests all of Father's consorts equally and wouldn't help."

"Flora."

"Who?" Kallen and Nunnally chorused.

After a few seconds, Euphemia said, "Oh! Marrybell's mother. I remember her. She was very kind."

"Her death led directly to the conquest of Hawaii and the establishment of Area Seven," Lelouch added.

Cornelia sighed. "Euphie, Nunnally, please go wash up for dinner."

Despite their protests, both Euphie and Nunnally did eventually comply. They left the room, leaving just Cornelia, Lelouch, and Kallen behind.

"Um…" Kallen fidgeted and glanced toward the door herself. "Should I…"

"You may stay if you wish," Cornelia said. "You're…worldly enough. And I know Marianne meant a great deal to you, too."

Once Kallen had reseated herself, Cornelia turned her attention back onto Lelouch. Her gaze had grown harder with the departure of the gentler members of their family.

"Understand that this is not spoken of in polite company. Flora mel Britannia's death, as respected and well-regarded as she was, had nothing to do with the Pacific War. Father wanted a toehold into the Pacific. It was a simple as that. He instigated enough unrest to create a casus belli; Flora and her youngest, Julia, ultimately were the unlucky souls who paid the price. We'd decided to invade long before Flora died."

"I know that," Lelouch said flatly. "I remember Mum champing at the bit long before Flora's assassination."

"Marianne was involved in the Pacific War?" Kallen asked, surprise in her tone along with a tinge of disapproval.

Cornelia briefly said, "Since Father's ascension to the throne, Marianne dealt with external armed conflicts for him." She then turned back to Lelouch. "And if you were already aware, then why bring up Flora?"

"Because it doesn't matter what Father and his inner circle wanted!" Lelouch said. He nearly stomped his foot in emphasis. "It was _everyone else's_ reaction that mattered. Everyone was up in arms. That was the point! It didn't matter whether or not Hawaii was someone we could beat. They demanded blood.

"And _now_ " – Lelouch felt a nail in his palm finally draw blood – "now everyone wants blood, too. But they want _more_ of _Mum's_. She hasn't even been buried yet, and the Ashfords are already inundated with legal battles. And don't think that I haven't heard what's been happening to her friends in Indochina, either. The Knights of the Round may be untouchable, but her own subordinates aren't.

"So tell me, Cornelia. What exactly am I missing? Explain to me how this is _not_ the systematic destruction of Mum's very existence with her killer being given a pat on the back for a job well done. If I were you, I'd start investigating everyone who's celebrating."

Kallen's eyes narrowed, and Lelouch could see her thoughts racing as her lips formed unspoken words. _She_ understood. On the other hand, Cornelia's reaction left much to be desired. She placed a hand on his shoulder in what he assumed was supposed to be a supportive gesture.

"Lelouch, there isn't the slightest bit of evidence anyone in the family was involved. I know we don't exactly have the most exemplary history of family unity, but no one would dare arrange an assassination. _Especially_ not of Marianne. Father would be furious. Yes, he makes us compete against each other for position, rather than simply going by order of birth, but he would _never_ –"

Cornelia faltered and took a moment to gather herself. "Lelouch, I was born into the Emblem of Blood. You have no idea how bad things were back then nor the lengths Father went to in order to end it _permanently_. Not long after you were born, a…second, I believe, cousin of ours tried to continue the family tradition of betrayal and assassination. There was very little evidence pointing to him, but Father _eradicated_ him _anyway_. _Then_ he went on to tear apart everyone with the slightest implication of being involved."

On the verge of pointing out the obvious, Cornelia held up a hand to put Lelouch off for the moment. She then continued, "The next fool tried to frame an enemy of his. He did a good job of it, too. I don't know how – no one does, really – but Father managed to suss out the truth. Now no one dares even think about such treason."

Rather grudgingly, Lelouch said, "Maybe so." Then with proper force, he added, "But you yourself said _Father_ " – he spat the name – "should be furious over this. And he's just going to let this go? Let all this happen? Let everything Mum built from nothing be destroyed and forgotten? How does that make any sense?"

"He's probably running his own investigation quietly through the OSI," Cornelia said, but the argument fell flat for Lelouch. Far too much of what Marianne cared for was disappearing even as they spoke for that to be the truth. Much of it could never be recovered.

"I'm done here," Lelouch flatly stated. There was no point to extending the conversation if Cornelia was already so convinced that anyone outside their piecemeal little family actually cared. He stormed out of the room, annoyed with himself for being unable to rein in his temper. Cornelia called him to come back, but he ignored her.

As he moved through the halls of Stadtfeld Manor, Lelouch pulled out his phone. He had to take this higher. He found a nice place to hide himself away from the world and set to work.

"Lelouch."

The boy in question briefly looked up from his phone, momentarily surprised. Kallen, it seemed, had managed to find him in a corner of the library only a couple minutes after he'd left her and Cornelia.

"Let me guess. Cornelia is mad."

In his peripheral vision, Lelouch noticed Kallen shrug. "I think she's mostly just frustrated with everything and kept so busy she can't find the time to mourn. She didn't send me to capture you, at any rate." Close enough now, she peered over his shoulder at his phone. "What are you doing?"

"Filling out the forms to demand a meeting with my own bloody father."

"What!" Kallen shrieked, eyes wide.

Lelouch lips parted, but before he made a sound, Kallen's hand flew out and snatched his phone. The screen went black, and she moved to fling it across the room. Lelouch caught her arm to stop her, but that left her free to drop it instead.

Reacting on instinct, Lelouch brought his foot up to brace the phone's impact. Kallen, having the complete opposite idea, ended up kicking his leg _hard_ when it got in the way. Not deterred, Lelouch pulled her down on top of him, letting his other leg shift instead.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Lelouch demanded as he reached for his phone.

Kallen pounced on Lelouch, pushing him back onto the ground. "What the bloody hell are _you_ doing?" she echoed back, kicking his phone away while he lay prone. "Please tell me you haven't already done something to draw attention to you."

"What?"

"No paper trail? Will anyone notice you started filling that application out?" While Lelouch pondered this strange reaction, Kallen pressed on. "I shut your phone off. Do we need to destroy it? I don't know how the Internet works."

"Kallen, what are you on about?"

That question apparently brought Kallen up short. She froze in place for a moment before her voice found her. "Why exactly where you trying to meet the emperor?"

"Why do you think?" Lelouch said sharply. "To demand the same justice for my mother that any other consort would receive."

"Have you taken leave of your senses! Think, you fool! If someone isn't behaving the way you expect, then something you believe is wrong. You're the one who taught me that. Put your temper aside and notice your own damn words. Who did you _just_ get done saying isn't acting the way you expected?"

After finally registering Kallen's meaning, Lelouch did feel every bit the fool. "The emperor," he whispered, the very man he'd been about to start a confrontation with who also happened to be the single most powerful man in the world.

"And what do you think you know about him that seems strange?"

Having the question actually posed to him gave Lelouch enough of a kick to finally reboot his brain. "The emperor. He should be on a warpath over Mum's death, but he's not."

"And why do you believe that?" Kallen said.

"Mum and Father actually liked each other…" Lelouch shook his head. Even if that were true, which by everyone's estimation _was_ the case, there were less emotional reasons to consider.

"Mum was the Knight of Six and Britannia's most successful general in centuries. Her death is a huge loss. Her allies were well chosen and talented; them being marginalised and discarded is just as bad. Even if they were on _bad_ terms, letting Mum's assassin go makes Father look _weak_ , which goes against his entire regime's social Darwinism. I don't believe there's anyone he would balk at executing, and even if so, he could just use a scapegoat."

 _If he officially closes the investigation_ without _using one…_ No word in English properly described how unexpected that would be.

"Something is _very_ wrong here," Lelouch concluded.

Kallen let out a relieved sigh. "I'm not trying to imply he was behind the assassination – honestly, I'm not – but what do you think the emperor would do if you marched into court and called him out on this whole debacle in front of everyone?"

Having brought Flora up himself, a horrible thought occurred. Paling, Lelouch said, "Send Nunnally and me to Japan and then kill us off when he's ready to launch his next war."

"Maybe – maybe not something so severe," Kallen said, her voice weak.

"No. An uppity piece not even as useful as a pawn yet – I know the emperor well enough to say he'd have no problem sacrificing me without Mum around to object. I don't have any value. No, I'm a liability at this point. I'm worse than useless. And Nunnally–"

Kallen pulled Lelouch into a hug, interrupting his thoughts.

"You're not worthless, Lelouch. Just stay here. Don't make any noise. Plot. Plan. Grow strong. Become invaluable. Dad and Cornelia will shelter you and Nunnally until then."

His protest died on his lips when Kallen pulled Lelouch closer and held him tighter.

"Please."

Sighing, Lelouch let himself relax into Kallen and returned the hug. "Fine. I'll do my best not to get myself killed."

"You'd better."

A second passed in understanding silence.

"You need to work on your speeches."

Kallen stomped on Lelouch's toes to little effect through their shoes.

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
January 3, 2010 a.t.b.**

"You know, getting Gottwald to accept more responsibility for your safety is going to be such a chore. I'm glad that's not my job."

Lelouch snapped out of his thoughts. He'd been getting lost in memories far too often today.

"I doubt it'll be as bad as you anticipate. Gottwald _wants_ the job. He wants to be honourable. I just have to convince him that he has unrealistically high standards for himself. It shouldn't be too hard to flip his sense of guilt from 'I'm unworthy' to 'I need to atone'."

Kallen shrugged. "Still glad that's not my job. I freely admit you're better at people stuff than I am. Anyway, I'm going to go get set up for our next guest."

Nodding, Lelouch turned his attention more fully onto the dossier before him while Kallen returned to her cabinet. He could ruminate on his memories later when he had less to do.

* * *

 **A/N:** Next chapter, _Never Again_. Things get even worse. But hey, at least Nunnally isn't blind or crippled.

I usually don't respond directly to comments on this site (except sometimes in PMs) like I would on FiMFiction, because it's stuck in the dark ages, but I do read them all. Sometimes they're useful for improving the story, sometimes they just brighten my day, and sometimes I just want to say, "Hell, yeah!" and make further observations. So, L2X, yes, I did give Kallen her true intellect. It's curious how often people forget how smart she is, but I do recognise that she has to compete with the likes of Lelouch, Lloyd, Schneizel, and Rakshata, and her impulsive tendencies don't do her any favours. However, with an uninterrupted and personalised education in competition with Lelouch in Britannia, she can go even further.


	5. R0 S05 - Never Again

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round Zero  
Stage 05 - Never Again

 **Shinjuku, Japan  
July 23, 2010 a.t.b.**

"In other news, Britannian Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia arrived in Australia early this morning to enter negotiations with the EU, Chinese Federation, and Japan. The ongoing blockade of Britannian ports has reportedly caused a minor recession within the country, not to mention interfering with their occupation of their new, and hopefully only temporary, territory in Asia. Combined with further economic sanctions and the embargo on the superconductor sakuradite, it's expected that–"

Naoto turned the television off and replaced the remote onto the coffee table nearby.

"Okā-san, watching the news isn't going to change anything."

"I know," Minami said, sighing. "I just want everything to be over already. This tension is killing me."

Rather than arguing over the merits of the looming war _not_ being over – Japan being the obvious soft target for Britannia – Naoto turned his attention to another matter he'd wanted to bring up for some time now.

"I've been talking with Kallen," Naoto began hesitantly. "She said the Ashfords would be willing to take you in, if you'd like. They're way up north past Hokkaido. No one will bother them, or you, there."

Rather predictably, Minami immediately refused. "I left my home. I left my husband and daughter. I'm not leaving you, too. I don't care what my neighbours say about me."

"It was just a thought," Naoto said. In all honesty, though, the people around him and Minami were really beginning to erode the last gram of his patience. _I'm so tired of people calling Mum a whore. She was married for twenty years!_

An odd clicking sound reached Naoto's ear. He glanced around the room, looking for the source, but found nothing. It stopped after a few seconds, so he paid it no further mind.

"Anyway," Minami said, "how is school going?"

Naoto shrugged. "It's a lot of work. Mostly reading. I miss seeing Kaname on campus, but he found a job nearby, so he'll stay as my roommate for a while still. I should be able to see my grades for this term soon. I'm expecting all A's."

That last bit of news brought a smile to Minami's face. "I'm so proud of you."

Naoto shifted in his seat. "I study hard. Anyone can do it. Kallen is the genius in the family."

"None of that now. You know Kallen works just as hard–"

In an instant, everything changed. A quiet explosion, a burst of wispy smoke, and drops of red. Minami collapsed, limp, dead. Behind her, Naoto found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
July 23, 2010 a.t.b.**

Kallen happily found her way to the library with a skip in her step after having sent Euphie off home. She loved spending time with Lelouch, and Nunnally had recovered over the past year into her usual bundle of energy, but sometimes it was nice to spend true and proper 'girl time' with just Euphie. The change in pace was refreshing to say the least. That Kallen now had a fair amount of studying to make up for after ignoring her schoolwork all of yesterday was a thought she shoved to the back of her mind for the moment.

Much later in the day, Rupert Mason – Stadtfeld Manor's butler, who Milly had incessantly referred to as Sebastian so long ago – came to fetch Kallen for supper. As usual, the food was excellent and abundant. Not like usual, however, was the absence of her father.

"Mason, have you seen my dad?"

"No, Lady Kallen. I don't believe he's returned from his meetings today yet."

"Hmm…" Shrugging, Kallen sat down to eat alone, or as alone as she ever was at scheduled mealtimes. There were several servants moving about as usual, some fulfilling such truly unnecessary but expected roles that she would have taken care of herself back in Japan; she could refill her own glass, thank you. Not that her family had lived alone in Japan, either, but the staff _had_ been considerably smaller.

By the time Kallen was done eating, her father had still not shown. Excusing herself, she returned to her room to relax with a book for the night. Maybe she would talk to Lelouch, too, if he was free and not too busy keeping Aries Villa afloat and Nunnally safe.

Kallen's phone vibrated. Curious, she picked it up and found that only now had her father bothered to inform her he would not be home for supper.

'A little late for that warning, isn't it?' Kallen texted back.

A few seconds later, she read, 'I actually won't be home for several days.'

'Oh? A business trip?'

Nearly a minute passed before Kallen received a reply. 'I'm headed to Japan.'

Kallen froze. Her phone nearly slipped out of her hand.

Eventually, Kallen recovered from the shock enough to start typing without a filter. 'What are you thinking? You yourself told me Britannia and Japan are a week, maybe two, away from declaring war. How are you even going to get there?'

'I'm taking a small plane that can land offshore on the ocean. I've arranged to be picked up from there.'

That completely missed answering the much more important question. 'Why!?'

Again, the response was slow in coming. 'I need to get Minami and Naoto out of the country.'

That answered nothing! 'Why?' Kallen demanded again. 'The entire point of splitting up was for us all to be safe. Why would you even need to go yourself? And even then, why not have them just sail out to meet you? Or ask Cornelia for help? Or, I don't know, have them _just fly to Australia_?' The questions kept coming, and Kallen forced herself to wait for an answer.

Finally, Reese replied, 'You'll understand when you're older.'

 _What? That doesn't make any bloody sense!_ 'I can understand _now_ if you'd just explain.'

'Kallen, just wait at home. I'll be back soon with your mum and Naoto. We'll be together again.'

'Why are they going to be safe here now but not before?' Really, it would be only more dangerous for Minami and Naoto in Britannia now than ever.

'We weren't entirely honest with you,' Reese replied.

Hesitantly, Kallen asked, 'What do you mean?'

'I was being threatened with disinheritance if I didn't divorce Minami and return home. With the political and cultural climate in Japan and the disgrace that would've left me in in Britannia, if that happened, life would've become _very_ difficult for all of us even if we'd moved to a neutral country. Minami and I didn't want that for you and Naoto. I have the situation under control now, though.'

Kallen really had no idea what to say to that.

'I'm sorry for not saying goodbye before I left. I didn't think I could go through with this if I did.'

Now _that_ Kallen could respond to. 'Of course not! Because this is bloody stupid! I _won't_ understand whatever the hell you think you're doing when I'm older.'

'Language, young lady.'

Kallen grit her teeth and tried to ignore how much her concerns were being outright ignored. _What's gotten into Dad?_ 'Why aren't Mum and Naoto safe?' Maybe that answer, at least, she could get out of her father.

'Besides the fact that everyone knows she had a Britannian husband, had Britannian children, and everything she has was bought with Britannian money?' There was yet again another pause before Reese added, 'In the right context, wartime makes it very easy to disregard murders and assassinations as civilian casualties.'

It only took a moment for Kallen to overcome the shock _that_ produced. 'Then just tell them to go into hiding. Look, I can do that _right now_ myself. In fact, I will.'

A press of a button, the choosing of a name, and Kallen had sent a text off to her mum asking what on Earth they were thinking. She repeated the act with Naoto.

'Kallen, just stay at home,' came Reese's response. 'We can argue about this when I get back.'

'There's no point to arguing _if_ you get back!'

'Well, I'm glad I won't have to look forward to that, then.'

Kallen screamed in frustration. Her father was not usually this dismissive, stubborn, or outright idiotic. What was going on that she was missing? And of course, Minami chose that moment to reply, telling her that everything was going to be okay and to stay at home until they were together again. She barely restrained the urge to flip the table she'd been reading at.

'Anyway, I need to head out,' Reese said. 'I probably won't be able to contact you for a while. I'll see you soon, Kallen. I love you.'

A moment passed. _There's no point to arguing, is there?_

It proved entirely too easy for Kallen to write, 'Okay. I love you, too, Dad.' She almost added, 'Goodbye,' but that felt entirely too much like a final farewell. _Please don't die, Dad._ She finally added, 'Stay safe.'

'Of course,' came Reese's reply. 'And you stay at home while I'm gone, Kallen. And don't invite anyone over. I don't need to hear about any wild parties when I get back.'

'Okay.'

After taking a deep breath, Kallen switched over to a different chat. 'Cornelia, I need a huge favour.'

While Kallen waited for Cornelia to respond, she got up and locked the doors to her room. For good measure, she wedged a chair beneath the handles as well. She had a very bad feeling about this.

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
July 24, 2010 a.t.b.**

Kallen bit her raw and swollen lip again, staring at her latest attempt to reach out to her dad, her mum, and Naoto. Her dad had acted horribly out of character. Her mum had brushed her off. Naoto had yet to even respond, and of the three, he was usually the most attentive to his emails and texts. Even his best friend, Ohgi, had not heard from him since he'd left to visit Minami a few days earlier.

Something was very, _very_ wrong.

 _This must be how Lelouch felt,_ Kallen idly thought to herself. _When Cornelia walked out that morning, it must have felt just like this._

As much as she wished she were, Kallen was not fooling herself. Her father was dead. Her mother was dead. Her brother was dead. But no one had yet come out and explicitly said as such to her. There was yet room to pretend to be a naive little girl waiting patiently for her family to come home to her.

Kallen pushed a series of buttons she knew was going to hurt. Her phone rang.

"Hey, Kallen. Wotcha?"

It took Kallen a few seconds to find her voice. Even once she had, it sounded dull and lifeless to her. "Lelouch, I need you to come over to my place."

The cheer drained out of Lelouch's voice after hearing Kallen's. "What's wrong? Do you have friends with you?"

A small smile curled at the ends of Kallen's lips. Lelouch was so paranoid. Granted, she agreed that he had reason to be; they really were out to get him. And besides, they had to get _some_ use out of their code words. "I'm not being held hostage. Have you spoken with Cornelia lately?"

"No, why?"

"I got a message a while ago that said my dad was going to go bring my mum and brother back here. It said he was going to take a plane. I asked Cornelia to take a few liberties with her position to search for him."

A heavy feeling settled into Kallen's chest as she tried to say the last words: there was no plane. They refused to form even in her head. If no one said them, she could keep pretending. She had nowhere to direct her smoldering anger, and she refused to give her enemy, whoever they were, the satisfaction of her crying.

"Lelouch. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time for a while about that whole making demands of the emperor debacle I averted. I need you to tell me to stop being a prat and face reality."

A moment passed.

"It sounds like you already are."

"Please, Lelouch. Friends do this for each other, right?

"I'm already on my way."

"Thank you. See you soon."

Kallen hung up after Lelouch said goodbye. She breathed deeply as she set herself to waiting for him or for one of her family members to respond. Either or was fine. She felt too numb at the moment from keeping her darker emotions in check to really care one way or the other. She did need to inform the staff to expect a guest, though.

* * *

 **The Sky  
New York, Britannia  
July 24, 2010 a.t.b.**

Although Lelouch had been tempted to take a plane, it being a slightly faster trip, he'd opted for a helicopter instead. He'd boarded just outside Aries Villa and would land right next to Stadtfeld Manor. That gave him more time to ruminate on the very limited amount of information Kallen had given him.

Lelouch briefly thought about contacting Cornelia but decided against it; Kallen apparently had all the pertinent information. To call her would be unnecessary and would unnecessarily involve her. Even the thickest person in the world could recognise that his upcoming rendezvous with Kallen would be a deeply private moment. The last thing he wanted to do was invite anyone else to see her either rage or break down.

 _So Kallen got a message supposedly from Lord Stadtfeld detailing his plans to go recover his wife and son. Well, ex-wife and son. From her usage of pronouns, she obviously doesn't think he was the one who actually wrote it. For that to happen, someone would have needed to have gotten ahold of either his email password or his phone._

 _Of course, it's not hard to get ahold of a dead man's phone._

Lelouch sighed and turned his gaze to stare out at the passing landscape. They were currently flying through the usual valley in the Appalachian Mountains en route to Stadtfeld Manor to take advantage of the winds.

 _I expect that if I_ did _call Cornelia, she'd tell me that the army didn't spot a plane leaving Britannian territory across the Pacific. I suppose it's possible that Lord Stadtfeld could have travelled across the pond and over Asia instead. I suspect Cornelia wouldn't have thought to check for that._

 _But then he had no reason to lie to Kallen. Sure, he might have expected her to call Cornelia, but that wouldn't have helped him slip out of the country either by plane or otherwise._

 _No, it couldn't have been Lord Stadtfeld who wrote that message. Why would someone who'd gotten ahold of his phone tell Kallen that, though? What could they gain?_

When he then turned his thoughts to compiling a list of possible suspects, Lelouch found himself frustrated at how short his list was. He'd not narrowed it down to a short list. No, rather, he knew too little about Lord Stadtfeld to know exactly who would benefit from him disappearing. Still, Kallen would prove helpful in that regard. She should know a fair amount about the businesses and holdings she would inherit if her father really were deceased.

Something about that thought niggled at the back of Lelouch's mind. _I feel like I'm forgetting something important about Kallen…_

Lelouch sighed and then turned his mind toward the more difficult aspect of the ordeal to come. _How do I comfort a girl? Kallen isn't as straightforward as Nunnally. Do I just hug her and let her cry on me?_

A dry laugh escaped Lelouch at the image of a frail, delicate Kallen weeping in his arms and clutching weakly at his shirt. _How absurd. As if_ _that would ever happen._

 _Hmm, what was it that Kallen told me before? She was 'whatever I needed her to be'? That sounds right. I guess I can't go wrong with that. Not that it's actually instructive advice._

Lelouch shook his head and returned to his original task. There, at least, he could make progress. He turned to his captain of the guard. "Jeremiah, I assume Kallen's background was thoroughly vetted before she was allowed into Aries Villa. Did you ever read the report?"

"No. I believe either Her Majesty or Princess Cornelia personally destroyed it immediately after reading it. Should I try to find the original source?"

"No need," Lelouch said with an idle wave of his hand. "I just feel like I'm forgetting something."

"Concerning His Lordship?"

"Possibly." Reese Stadtfeld was an affable man, or at least that was Lelouch's impression. He regretted now more than ever not having spent much time in the man's company. "You wouldn't happen to know who would wish him harm, would you?"

"Only the usual suspects: jealous family, an overeager heir, a scorned woman, an enemy not fully destroyed, and so on."

Lelouch slumped back with a huff. "I think we can cross off the overeager heir."

"Not necessarily." To Lelouch's raised eyebrow, Jeremiah added, "However good of a man he grew up to be, young heirs are often known for their…dalliances."

"Lord Stadtfeld already has two bastard children in the eyes of most Britannians. I think that's enough."

While Jeremiah did not look entirely convinced, he let the matter go without further comment. His expression did bear a bit of reprimand in his frown for not considering all the possibilities, though. Lelouch supposed that was fair, especially considering how often his own sisters called him paranoid these days.

 _A scorned woman… I can't believe that would be anyone other than Lady Stadtfeld, but from how Kallen speaks of it, their relationship is as strong as it can be with them separated by the Pacific and technically divorced._

There was that niggling feeling in Lelouch's mind again. Something about that sounded not wrong but wanting. A crucial fact remained outside his reach. Yet the truth of the matter still eluded him.

 _The rest of the Stadtfeld family is very unhappy with their lord, but why kill him and leave Kallen alone? Him dying on a secret trip to Japan is a believable story, but if you remove him, the heiress has to go, too. There's no point otherwise._

"We've nearly arrived, Your Highness," the helicopter pilot called out.

Indeed, now that he really cared to look, Lelouch could see Stadtfeld Manor off in the distance approaching quickly. Along with it, however, were a distressingly large number of what appeared to be police officers.

Lelouch immediately sent a message to Kallen. 'Nearly there. What's going on?' Rather predictably, no answer came before they arrived.

The woman who met Lelouch and Jeremiah when they stepped off their helicopter looked very familiar. Her tall stature, blue eyes, sharp features, and especially her red hair all spoke to her identity.

Lelouch silently signalled to Jeremiah to be ready for a fight. He knew a dangerous situation when he saw one. With no answer from Kallen, the police roaming the grounds, and now the appearance of this particular woman, there was little doubt that _someone_ was going to get _hurt_ if he said the wrong thing.

"Welcome to Stadtfeld Manor, Your Highness," the woman said.

Affecting the politest smile he could, Lelouch took hold of the offered hand in front of him. "You must be Lord Stadtfeld's sister, Lady Clarine. A pleasure. What brings you to the manor today?"

"Tragic news, I'm afraid. Apparently, my brother thought it was a good idea to visit Japan. He was killed while trying to leave with his…friend."

"I see." As certain as he was that Lord Stadtfeld had never left Britannia – not alive, at least – Lelouch held off on making any outright accusations just yet. It was _possible_ Lady Clarine was not involved in her brother's death. "Please forgive my terseness, but why are the police here?"

"My niece unfortunately didn't take the news well. She rode off the manor's grounds on horseback a half-hour ago when she was informed."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. It was awfully _convenient_ timing that Kallen would disappear between his phone call with her and his arrival not long later.

"She was most definitely not in her right mind when she left. She almost killed the servant who told her about her father while struggling to get away. He doesn't intend to press charges, of course; the girl was clearly distraught. The police are only here to find her and bring her home safely."

As Lady Clarine said, a large force of police officers _were_ heading off in the direction of the mountains nearby. Glancing off in their direction, Lelouch could just barely see half of them now heading toward the woods that rested along the lower foothills just shy of the mountain range.

"Well, Kallen always was a bit hotheaded and impulsive," Lelouch said. "I suppose I'll just have to wait for her return, then."

"Of course, Your Highness. I'd be happy to keep you entertained in the meanwhile."

Smiling, Lelouch said, "That sounds lovely. I haven't been able to meet much of Kallen's extended family. I would like to freshen up first, though, if you wouldn't mind. The flight here was not as pleasant as I'd hoped."

Patiently waiting to be shown inside and escorted to his usual accommodations was one of the hardest things Lelouch had ever had to do in his life. Once he was finally left alone to disappear into the bathroom, he turned on the shower and then promptly removed the phone he'd smuggled in with his change of clothes. As much as he loathed to admit it, he had no power to deal with this situation himself. Maybe in five years he could, but right now when it counted, he was just a boy with a knight, a handful of pawns, a missing queen, and a few scattered friends. Bluffs and intimidation could only take him so far.

'I need your help immediately,' Lelouch sent to Cornelia's work phone. Ten of the longest seconds of Lelouch's life later, Cornelia finally responded.

'What's happened?'

'Kallen probably only has a few hours before she's caught in the wilderness and suffers an 'accident'. She has a horse' – if her aunt had not lied about that and if Kallen _had_ escaped – 'but that won't keep her ahead for too long.'

'Why haven't you simply informed the police?'

'Because my number one suspect right now called them herself.'

'Clarine Stadtfeld?' After Lelouch replied, Cornelia added, 'Makes sense. She must be trying to disinherit Kallen if killing her doesn't work.'

Lelouch slapped a hand to his forehead. _That_ was what he'd been forgetting. Kallen and her father weren't allowed to contact her mother or brother.

'A worry for another time,' Cornelia said. 'Succession crises are messy things. How many men and how much fire power will I need?'

Lelouch thought back to the aerial view of the assembled police force he'd seen earlier. 'I think there were approximately fifty officers. I didn't see any knightmares, just the regular forces. I only saw them mid-operation, however. I don't know how many there are in total.'

'On my way. I won't arrive until early tomorrow, but I'll mobilise domestic forces immediately.'

'Thank you.'

'Stay safe. And don't do anything stupid.'

Lelouch snorted as he ignored Cornelia's last message. Frowning, he instead contemplated calling one particular phone number he'd recently discovered in his mother's office. Cornelia would, well, not _fully_ approve. Milly would not approve. Of all people, Nunnally and Euphie would be the last to approve. Kallen would be furious he'd denied her the opportunity for revenge.

And yet it was happening _again_. How much more did the world want to take before it would finally be sated? Had Kallen even escaped? Did she need an iron fist or a velvet glove to effect her rescue?

Decision made, whatever its consequences might be, Lelouch waited for the line to connect.

"Hai, Shinozaki Shinobu desu."

Mangling what little Japanese he knew sounded like a very bad idea, so Lelouch responded in English. "This is Lelouch vi Britannia, son of Marianne vi Britannia née Lamperouge. Do you know how I could get ahold of Sayoko Shinozaki?"

"I'm afraid that Sayoko never returned from her last mission for your mother, Your Highness."

Lelouch's eyebrows shot up. "When was this?"

"Only days before Her Majesty's own demise. Sayoko-san was hired to follow someone 'extraordinarily dangerous', I believe were the words she used. Although we're not certain of anything further, we do suspect she was caught and linked back to Her Majesty."

Stunned, Lelouch forced himself to shove this information to the back of his mind for the moment. As much as he wanted to dig into the matter further, Kallen was a much more immediate concern than investigating his mother's murder.

"On behalf of the Shinozaki clan, I wish to express our condolences. Her Majesty had our deepest respect."

"I – thank you. My own condolences for your loss." Lelouch shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Forgive me if I offend, but I'm not sure what exact arrangement you had with my mother. Would I be able to hire the Shinozaki clan to do a job for me?"

"Of course, Your Highness. What do you need?"

Lelouch steeled himself. Some part of him almost refused to believe he was about to do this. Yet in the long run, it would be so much cleaner than the alternatives. And Kallen had never failed to answer his call. It was time to return the favour.

"Someone is targeting the half of the Stadtfeld family that I actually like and forgot the other half," Lelouch said. "I feel compelled to correct that unfortunate error in a timely manner."

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
July 24, 2010 a.t.b.**

Slumped over on a chair in the library, Kallen waited. Lelouch was coming, and he was the deadline. Her father, her mother, her brother – that was how long they had to just say _something_ to her. Otherwise, they were dead. For the last ten minutes, she'd taken to idly turning her phone about in her hands, round and round. Anything which kept her from staring at a clock counting down the minutes before reality set in was the very pinnacle of entertainment.

In the reflection off her phone, Kallen noticed one of the manor's servants silently approaching with a rag. She thought nothing of it at first. She saw people cleaning every day, and she recognised them all; this was no different. It was only when the man continued to approach her from behind that she began to worry, yet she kept spinning her phone to maintain appearances.

The servant lunged forward. Kallen dodged the first arm meant to grab her. The other bounced off her head, smearing her face with whatever was on the damp, sweet smelling rag. After she'd rolled away, she sprung to her feet and bolted. On more than one step, she nearly stumbled and fell. Her fingers and toes felt numb, but she could deal with that. Far more concerning was that she felt lightheaded.

A thin book spun through the air. A corner hit Kallen sharply on her forehead. Staggered, she almost failed to move out of the way of the next attempt to grab her.

Kallen sprinted away from her assailant. Knowing he was probably faster, she ran into the library's rows of shelves where agility would count for far more. The man cursed and screamed obscenities at her, which thankfully let her use her breath for more important things than calling for help. He would draw plenty of attention all on his own.

After baiting her opponent into following her zigzagging path through the shelves for long enough, Kallen found herself in a corner with hopefully just enough distance between her and him.

Kallen kicked off one wall as she turned the corner. The force she used carried her higher up on the next wall. She leapt from there across the space between her and the nearest bookshelf. She twisted herself to land feet first. The shelf leaned dangerously forward, and when she kicked off of it, she was rewarded with a sharp cry of pain as it toppled onto her foe.

Not stopping to catch her breath, Kallen shot off back toward the entrance to the library. She saw a maid and a footman running toward her as she emerged from the shelves. Her relief was short-lived, though, when she noticed that _they_ did not look relieved to see her unharmed.

Leaping to land with both feet in front of her, Kallen reversed her direction. Her destination this time was a window she knew she could climb out of. Once she reached it and had it open, she jumped from the windowsill. She grasped a tree branch as she fell. From there, she let herself drop from one branch to another before finally landing on the ground on her feet.

 _Where do I go now?_ Kallen looked around, not spotting anyone around to either help or attack her. She doubted she had long before the two still in the library caught up to her, though. _How many people have turned on me? Who would even want to–_

The question caught Kallen off guard even before the words formed. The truth struck her hard.

 _The other Stadtfelds._ They _did this. They – they killed my family! Mum. Dad. Naoto. They want to kill me. And all for some stupid title and some money._ Kallen spun toward the house, fists clenched. _I'm going to fucking kill them! I'll kill every last one of them and their damn goons!_

As Kallen took a step back toward the manor, she remembered telling Lelouch off for almost exactly that kind of stupidity. She would not go off half-cocked. She grit her teeth. "I'll be back. I'll be back with the entire Britannian army breaking down the door!"

With one final curse, Kallen turned and ran toward the stables. She had no idea who was on her side, if anyone, nor where the car keys were kept. A horse was her best option.

Kallen silently tiptoed past the stable master. Once in the stables proper, she commandeered the horse she knew had the most endurance. There was no making a quiet exit with a one tonne, steel-hoofed animal in tow, so she settled for a fast one. She set her horse into a full gallop and flew out of the stables and away from the manor before anyone could protest.

 _Where do I go from here? A car will beat me to town. I can't travel on the road. I can't stay in the open. I'd be found in minutes if I did. Lelouch won't arrive in time to spirit me away before someone else does. Crossing the mountains would be hard and possibly too cold._

Kallen veered her horse toward her only remaining option. _The forest it is, then._ The trees were far enough apart that she could still make good time yet close enough to hide beneath the canopy. Only once she was finally concealed did she slow her horse to a trot and allow herself to think.

 _Okay, now what? Where would I go if I were Lelouch? I might be able to get to New York. But then he'd say that's a horrible idea; New York is the Stadtfelds' base of power. A nearby town?_

It sounded like a good idea, but it suffered from one fatal flaw.

 _I have no idea where I'd find one. I don't want to wander around at random or follow a road. That'd just let my pursuers catch up to me._

Frowning, the options before Kallen continued to dry up. _If I have any safe houses that the rest of my 'family' doesn't know about, Dad certainly didn't tell me. I don't really have any friends in the area…_

That last thought made Kallen groan. There _was_ one place she knew she could go to when in need. She gazed down at her horse for a moment, affectionately petting its mane.

"How far can you go in a day, Felicity? Twenty, thirty miles? Maybe forty if we have a nice open plain to cross, not a dirty old forest."

Sighing, Kallen wished she'd managed to hold onto her phone. That would have made her life so much easier. Her adrenaline was wearing off, too, unfortunately. That gave her more time alone with her thoughts and the implications of what had just happened to her.

It was going to be a long journey to Pendragon.

* * *

 **Somewhere Along the Appalachian Mountains  
July 25, 2010 a.t.b.**

"Inspector," Cornelia said calmly, not allowing the anger she felt to creep into her tone. "Please tell me who I am."

The rather haughty police inspector tilted his head ever so slightly to the side. "Princess Cornelia li Britannia, Ma'am?"

Cornelia nodded. "Are you aware of the rights and responsibilities bestowed upon the imperial family?"

"As well as anyone else." From his hesitant tone, the inspector had finally realised he might be in _trouble_.

Humming pleasantly, Cornelia nodded once more. "Of course, of course. There are so many. Now for the last time, order all of your men to withdraw from the search immediately."

"With all due respect, General, this is hardly a military matter. Lady Clarine–"

"Tell me, Inspector," Cornelia began narrowing her eyes. "If, during this search for a young girl I myself might end up fostering, you were to find yourself promoted to glory during your honourable service, who would be your immediate successor?"

"I'll give the command," the inspector said, bowing deeply. He then departed as quickly as could be considered polite.

Cornelia sighed to herself. Summary execution was such a faux pas. She could get away with it easily enough, but the headache that inevitably followed was nearly never worth it. Not far away, she noticed Lelouch gazing at her with a frown.

"You disapprove?"

"Of course not," Lelouch said. "Just envious. You have no idea how frustrating it is that I couldn't get the good inspector to do that myself."

 _Yes, that does sound grating._ "What's done is done."

Lelouch grumbled something to himself.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing," Lelouch said, shaking his head. "Fortunately, it didn't matter. Kallen is as brilliant as ever. I just wish _we_ could find her trail."

"I expect Kallen will run into someone sooner rather than later," Cornelia said. "She'll contact us, and we'll reach her before anyone who wishes her harm."

Lelouch looked decidedly sceptical at that, but Cornelia chose not to comment.

"Anyway, I'll leave you in charge here for now," Cornelia said. The search really needed no oversight, but she figured it would occupy Lelouch with something other than worry until they finally found Kallen. "I need to meet with Reese's lawyers before Kallen's relatives get too far ahead of me."

"If you'd like," Lelouch said. He stood tall with a hard look in his eyes. "There won't be a custody battle, though, nor a succession crisis."

As blunt as that was, Cornelia needed no further hints. "What did you do?"

"I contacted the Shinozaki clan. My immediate concern at the time was if we're chasing ghosts while Kallen is either dead or locked away somewhere. I expect her relatives will be more willing to talk right before they die. Regardless, I will not allow them the chance to ruin Kallen's life any further."

Cornelia locked eyes with Lelouch, who refused to even flinch under her gaze.

"Don't make a habit of assassination," Cornelia said. She banished the pride from her voice in favour of a scolding tone. "But I can't fault your reasoning. We _will_ be talking about this later, however."

Lelouch nodded.

"I still need to meet with Reese's lawyers in the meanwhile. Too much could go wrong if Kallen's relatives are left unchecked in what time they have left. Stay here."

On her way out, Cornelia snagged Gottwald and sent him back to Lelouch with the _suggestion_ not to leave his charge's side until she returned. The man was probably more loyal to Lelouch these days, but she could hope he would at least listen enough to convince Lelouch not to send him away on any tasks.

* * *

 **Somewhere Along the Appalachian Mountains  
July 25, 2010 a.t.b.**

Kallen hugged her legs to her chest. Her horse needed rest as much as she did. Her horribly sunburnt arms and legs demanded time in the shade away from the noon sun overhead. Her neck had never been so thankful for mildly long hair before. She had socks to protect her feet, too, and for that they were eternally grateful. Having no shoes _and_ sunburnt feet would be an entirely new breed of misery.

Of course, Kallen's stomach growled its displeasure at her. A few steps away, she could pick mushrooms. A berry patch grew a minute's ride back in the direction she'd come from. Both options were so tempting.

But then the absolute last thing Kallen needed right now was to get sick – _or die_ – and be unable to ride. With her luck the last few days, everything she found to eat would be poisonous. She would go without. The hunger she could bare, and so long as she continued to find creeks and streams, she would have enough to drink.

Still, Kallen knew there was a bit of envy in her eyes as she watched Felicity graze. Having a horse's diet would be ever so nice right about now. What she really wanted, though, was a second set of eyes. She dared not sleep, and she quietly cursed Felicity every time she stopped to let her horse rest.

Kallen's stomach growled again.

"Shut up," Kallen muttered.

Ignoring the pangs of hunger, Kallen's mind wandered back to her situation. It was a minor footnote, really, but she was probably being quietly disinherited right about now. After all, her relatives had 'irrefutable proof' that her father had broken his agreement to cease all contact with her mother.

But then that was probably what they were counting on Kallen to think. Her father had chosen the path of least resistance to ensure her safety and welfare. Commendable, and she would always thank him for it, but she had friends in the imperial family now. She could afford to tackle the problem directly. Her relatives' threat to disinherit her father, if true, were of questionable legality and reeked of both blackmail and extortion. They had no right to interfere with the line of succession.

 _She_ was Lady Stadtfeld now, the Countess of New York, and Kallen would fight tooth and nail to keep the title for no other reason than spite. "You will not have so much as a single ha'penny of my inheritance."

Kallen let out a heavy, frustrated sigh.

"I can't believe them. Sure, _I'm_ a filthy half-breed, but Dad? Seriously? Their own brother?" Kallen buried her head further into her legs. _What's wrong with this country?_

* * *

 **Somewhere Along the Appalachian Mountains  
July 26, 2010 a.t.b.**

"You know, hunger isn't so bad one you get used to it, Felicity. Deal with it for an hour, and it just kind of goes away."

 _Sigh… Maybe those red berries I saw aren't poisonous. Maybe._

Kallen shook the thought from her mind, reminding herself that the risk versus reward ratio was too high.

"You know, Felicity, we could probably find a farm if we wandered in a big enough circle. My relatives can't possibly bribe or threaten every farmer in the world. Lelouch probably has people out looking for me, too. Think it's worth the risk?"

Felicity stared blankly at Kallen for a while before neighing.

"Right, well, _I_ thought it was a good idea. I guess that might take us just as long as it would to find Pendragon. We can't be too far away by now. Maybe we'll get there tomorrow."

Perhaps an hour later as she was preparing to ride again, Kallen said, "I bet Aunt Clarine is the one behind all this, Felicity. Dad always kept her away from me whenever he could. I actually spoke with Uncle James…three times, was it? I don't know. Maybe they're in it together. It wouldn't surprise me either way.

"I'm probably not the only person who's gone through this shite, either. Britannia at its finest, Felicity. Survival of the fittest. Well, guess what. I'm more fit than any of my oh so pure blooded relatives. They're never going to get a chance like this again. Never again."

Kallen quietly chuckled to herself for no other reason than to stave off tears. She still remembered Cornelia's impromptu history lesson from over a year ago. _I guess I'm more Britannian than I thought. Never again. Never ever again._

Shaking herself of those thoughts, Kallen said, "I wonder how my non-Britannian relatives are doing. I have a few cousins who could run circles around me back in Japan. I'm not _that_ fit. Although not to brag or anything, but I'm _way_ smarter than them."

Kallen fell silent for a moment.

"I hope Gran is safe."

Felicity lowered her head to eat some grass.

Kallen sighed. "I miss my friends."

* * *

 **Somewhere Along the Appalachian Mountains  
July 27, 2010 a.t.b.**

A rustling sound came from nearby in the forest. Kallen weakly lifted her head from her knees to glance in that direction. After dozens of false alarms from squirrels, rabbits, and birds, she just waited to see what came her way, if anything.

Kallen shot to her feet when a young woman with green hair as long as Euphie's walked into her small clearing. The woman wore a blank expression and a bored frown on her face and looked perhaps a year or two younger than Cornelia.

Not having a weapon, Kallen slowly backed away from the woman toward Felicity. "Who are you?"

"C.C.."

Kallen's eyebrows rose sceptically in silent question.

"You must be Kallen Stadtfeld."

Kallen took another few steps toward her horse. "So?"

"Lelouch is looking for you. I don't believe anyone thought you would ride so far, especially without resorting to petty theft. Aries Villa is ten miles that way." C.C. pointed nearly due south. "The guard will notice you in a five mile radius, so get over there before he does something foolish and gets himself killed."

The more C.C. spoke, the more Kallen was tempted to jump on her horse and head in the exact opposite direction of what the woman had suggested. But then she picked up on one little keyword. _The only people who call Aries Villa a villa are_ – "who are you, really?"

C.C. quirked an eyebrow. "Are you deaf?"

"Of course not! How do you know Lelouch?"

A somewhat amused expression came over C.C.'s face. "I was his midwife."

 _What? But she'd have been…ten?_

Kallen shook the unimportant thought from her head. She trusted this C.C. woman at least enough to follow directions. She climbed aboard Felicity, eager to put this horrible chapter of her life behind her.

"Thank you," Kallen said. She looked between C.C. and the surrounding forest. Now that she thought about it, C.C. had _no_ means of transportation, or at least not one nearby. "Um… Do you need a ride somewhere?"

"No."

Seeing as C.C. apparently had nothing more to say, Kallen awkwardly kicked Felicity into a slow walk. "Er, thank you again. I… See you later?"

C.C. hummed noncommittally. "Perhaps in six or seven years."

 _That's…an oddly specific long period of time._ Ignoring that, Kallen made her farewells without getting any in return. What a singular encounter that had been.

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
July 27, 2010 a.t.b.**

As much as Kallen had wanted to push Felicity to gallop as fast as she could to Aries Villa, the simple fact of the matter was that Kallen herself could barely handle a slow trot. Ironically, it was with much relief when she had found herself with three men in camouflage pointing guns at her and demanding she dismount and explain her presence on royal property.

Kallen chuckled, knowing that she barely looked like herself after over four days of mud, leaves, wind, bugs, sunburns, and all other manner of horrible things. She did dismount, and she smoothed her hair down a bit once she had. That and a few words were all it took for the guard to recognise her and usher her to the palace with all due haste.

When Kallen and her escort finally arrived at the palace, she quickly found herself swept up in Nunnally's and Euphie's arms. She was passed off next to Cornelia, who, while not as clingy, seemed not to want to let go. Even Lelouch wanted a bone breaking hug from her.

"Welcome home, Kallen," Lelouch said, still refusing to let her go despite how awful she must smell. Really, she must have ruined thousands of pounds worth of clothes just from letting the girls hug her. She was a mess.

But right now, there was only one word Kallen could work up the energy to say. Even without her father, mother, and brother, she still had a family. She still had a place to call home.

"Tadaima."

* * *

Kallen went limp in Lelouch's arms. Eyes wide, he shook her with increasing alarm. "Kallen? Kallen!"

"Relax," Cornelia said as one of her hands came to rest on Lelouch's shoulder. "She's just asleep. I doubt she's let herself have much these past four days."

"Oh. Good. She deserves some rest. But does she need food or water?"

"She needs a lot more than that," Euphie said. "She needs a doctor."

"And all the indulgent comforts she can get," Nunnally added, drawing a smile out of Euphie. " _Definitely_ a weekend spa holiday."

"Naturally. Hand her over, Lelouch," Euphie said. He obliged; Kallen was not exactly a light load, regardless of how much of a twig she was. "We'll put her to bed and call someone to look her over."

Although he was not terribly eager to let Kallen out of his sight after fretting over her safety for days and barely sleeping, Lelouch allowed his sisters to take her away. He was not particularly interested in earning Kallen's wrath for watching them undress and possibly clean her. He let out a long, relieved sigh as he watched the girls disappear inside Aries Villa.

 _Never again._

"Lelouch." He turned to look up at Cornelia, at which point she said, "I trust you'll be there for her."

As if Cornelia even needed to ask. Even so, Lelouch nodded.

"Good. Any word from the Shinozaki?"

"Yes," Lelouch said, his mood souring. "They managed to find her mother's body, but Naoto's is still missing."

"I see." Cornelia sighed. "Well, let's hope he survived this and will live through the imminent war. Regardless, I expect to win custody of Kallen, but I have to go back to the army soon. Will you let her stay here?"

"With pleasure," Lelouch said. "But–"

Cornelia immediately cut Lelouch off. "I would move Euphie here as well if I could. As much as she could use the company, I won't subject Kallen to my mother."

Already knowing Cornelia's low opinions of her own mother well enough, Lelouch changed the topic. "Will you be leading the invasion of Japan?"

"No, thankfully. I'm sure Kallen would forgive me that, but she would never forget. I'll be returning across the Atlantic and staying there."

"Well, that's something."

A moment passed in silence.

"May I offer some advice, Lelouch?"

"On what?" Lelouch asked.

"Kallen is a remarkable young girl and now a very wealthy countess of one of the more important cities in the empire. That she made it here to Pendragon from New York on horseback without any supplies while remaining completely under the radar also leaves a very strong impression, and not just on me. You get on well with her, and unless something goes horribly wrong, she'll grow up to be rather fetching. Marry her before you become convenient to marry off."

The last little sentence left Lelouch gaping at Cornelia. "I… What? But – _what_? I'm _ten_. _She's_ ten! She's…Kallen."

Cornelia smirked, apparently finding amusement in the rapidly faltering mess before her. "Happiness is being married to your best friend, Lelouch. You don't have to consider it for a while, but I'm planting the idea now. You, Little Brother, strike me as the type to completely ignore romance until a girl you fancy strips you in frustration and pushes you onto a bed."

Flushed and with burning cheeks, Lelouch said, "I'll keep that in mind," mostly just to shut Cornelia up.

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
August 2, 2010 a.t.b.**

"Lelouch?"

Lelouch looked up from his desk to find his no longer missing queen just outside his study at the door. He quickly glanced back down, cursed Cornelia, and got his blush under control.

"Hey, Kallen."

"Are you busy?"

With a shrug, Lelouch said, "Not really. Just looking over a few things for the villa. What's on your mind?"

Kallen came in and shut the door behind her. She locked it, too, curiously enough. He quirked an eyebrow. Not getting an answer immediately, he found himself eager to spread his misery. "I think we're both a little too young for you to seduce me."

The serious expression on Kallen's face vanished. "Wha-what? What the hell, Lelouch? I don't even… _What_?"

Lelouch both laughed and hated himself for now understanding why Cornelia had considered this so amusing. "Sorry. Just something Cornelia said to annoy me. Anyway, what were you going to say?"

Despite the sceptical glance she shot Lelouch, Kallen let the matter drop. Standing just in front of his desk, she fixed him with a stare. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I apologise for not giving you the opportunity to kill your aunt with your own hands, but your life was in immediate danger at the time. I have the report the Shinozaki sent me for whenever you're ready to read it. As you no doubt expect, the rest of the Stadtfelds were complicit in the attempt on your life."

Kallen extended her hand. Taking the gesture for what it was, Lelouch retrieved the report from his desk along with the transcript from the interrogations. He passed them off to her and left her to read through them. She went to light the fireplace and then settled down on the sofa nearby while he returned to his paperwork for the moment.

Several minutes passed.

"Lelouch."

The boy in question looked up from his work.

"We need to talk."

There was certainly no denying that. After signing one last paper, Lelouch capped his pen, put away his work, and stood up to join Kallen by the fire. As he approached, he asked, "Is this the 'how dare you' kind of talk or the 'I need comfort food' variety?"

"Neither." Kallen tossed the report he'd given her aside onto a coffee table. She gestured to it with a scowl. " _That_ just highlights a problem I've been ignoring since before I came here."

"And that is?"

"I _hate_ this country."

A simple statement, but in the current company, terribly potent.

"And yet," Lelouch said, knowing the deeper conflict hidden within those words, "you don't want to burn it to the ground."

"No, I don't," Kallen grudgingly admitted. "I can't deny that there are things here that I love. Nor can I honestly say Japan is my home anymore. Everything would be so much simpler otherwise."

Giving a clearly much needed voice to her thoughts, Lelouch said, "Yes, it would be. Go home. Raise support amongst the, in all likelihood, oppressed Elevens. Build a rabid army hungry for vengeance. If I'd gotten myself exiled there and survived the coming war, I'd likely have done the same. Imagine if you'd never come to Britannia. We'd probably be the leaders of the rebellion."

Kallen said nothing.

"Do you regret your decision?"

"To come here?" Kallen said. "No. I don't think I would like Kōzuki Karen. She feels shortsighted. What about you? Do you regret me being here to knock some sense into you?"

Lelouch scoffed. "Hardly. I'm not confident Nunnally could survive a war zone, and I doubt I would much care for Lelouch Lamperouge."

After a moment of reflective silence, Lelouch asked, "So what are your intentions, Countess Stadtfeld?"

To her credit, Kallen barely reacted to the title, but Lelouch knew her well enough to see the hurt flash through her.

"I want to change this country. What we've both gone through should never have happened."

"You want to completely overhaul our culture," Lelouch said, because that truly _was_ the heart of the matter. Kallen wanted to make them and their struggles the exception, not the norm. She nodded, and he continued, "How exactly do you intend to do that?"

"I…don't know."

Lelouch said nothing. Kallen had come here for a reason, and he doubted it was just to inform him of her discontent with Britannia. He'd known of that since he'd first met her, after all.

"But," Kallen said, resolve returning to her voice, "that's what I have you for. I know you don't give a damn about your father or Britannian supremacy, much less the aristocracy. I figure a filthy commoner and a crapaud on the throne would be a good start."

A smirk worked its way onto Lelouch's face. _As expected of my queen._ "I'm only one-sixteenth French, you realise."

"No one cares."

"Why not aim for Empress yourself, you disgusting half-breed? Odysseus is unattached and easily led."

"By Schneizel, you mean."

Lelouch shrugged. Kallen had him there.

"So what do you think? You and me, we take over Britannia and turn it into its worst nightmare: a country that's actually heard of the phrase noblesse oblige."

"What makes you think we can?" Lelouch asked. He needed to know how much thought she'd actually given the matter.

"Well, Marianne always said I had a deft hand with knightmares, and you're already a brilliant strategist. I'm sure you can be a good politician, too; you can be very charismatic when you want to be. Not to mention you have a legitimate claim to the throne. We're both precocious geniuses, and you can wear a mask as well as I can. I'm wealthy even by your standards, and I imagine most everyone who knows of and would use my parentage against us is dead, so I'm a proper, respectable blueblood of high standing. And speaking of, I bet the commoners would love you if you openly embrace _your_ heritage. Really, together, what couldn't we do?"

"This would be no small undertaking," Lelouch pressed on, fighting not to match Kallen's smile with his own. "I have to ask. Why are you so set on this?"

The question brought Kallen's mood down from the cheer she'd somehow managed to find.

"Altruism, I guess. I don't want anyone else to go through what we have, much less have to go through it _again_ ourselves. But beyond that, I've never approved of your father's social Darwinism or the resulting social stratification. There's _some_ truth to it, in that not everyone is equal in all ways, but 'fitness' doesn't correlate well with who you're born to. Evolution is more…macro than that."

"The situation here isn't exactly that simple," Lelouch admitted. He agreed with Kallen, of course, but there was an argument against to be made. "There _is_ some meritocracy to our aristocracy. The infamous 'Earl of Pudding', Lloyd Asplund, is a more recent example of rising up the ranks. The man is brilliant, if completely mad, and was rewarded for his work on the Glasgow knightmare."

"Perhaps," Kallen said. "But there's a reason why we don't own the world, and it's not because we're outnumbered, outgunned, or out-funded. We waste so much untapped potential with brutal subjugation of both our own people and our colonial subjects."

"You'd have a hard time controlling all the areas if you treat the numbers like people. And that's not to mention how difficult it would be to get Britannians to work with them." Lelouch paused for a moment, then said, "Unless, of course, you'd be asking me to free all the areas, including the upcoming Area Eleven."

That visibly hit Kallen deep, but she carried through it strongly. "That wouldn't be a good idea. A weakened Japan would be too tempting a target for the Chinese Federation as another 'member state'. And the oldest areas have been part of Britannia for so long that there wouldn't be much of a point. They're fully assimilated. But I wouldn't be against the areas having more autonomy with a more accessible government."

Smirking, Lelouch said, "Oh, I bet father dearest would just _love_ that. A collection of semi-autonomous nation-states beholden to the crown sounds like his cup of tea."

"So?" Kallen asked, a hopeful light in her eyes. "What do you think?"

"I'm fairly far down the line of succession. How exactly do you expect me to become emperor? A coup? A rebellion? A populist revolution? Assassination?"

Kallen's lips pressed into a thin line. Eventually, however, she said, "If your father abides even the slightest bit by his own philosophy, he'll pass the throne onto his most capable child."

Lelouch paused in his thoughts. That, in all honesty, had never actually occurred to him.

"Now that's an interesting perspective. But to become 'capable' in the emperor's eyes as a ruler, would you be willing to not only condone but help me swindle, murder, cheat, and conquer my way to the throne?"

"If not us, then someone else would. We might do _more_ bad in the short run, but at least _we_ would have good intentions in the long run."

Lelouch found that answer unsatisfactory. "Could you live with the guilt?"

"It's not like I haven't killed before." To Kallen's credit, she said that without even twitching.

"In self-defence," Lelouch countered.

"Lelouch."

"Fine." Lelouch could let that pass for the moment. "But you realise this won't be a fast revolution, politically or culturally, right?"

"We've got plenty of time. We're young."

 _Understatement of the century._

"And I know when you're fishing for information," Kallen said. "I've played along long enough. You've obviously had your own thoughts before on this, otherwise you'd have told me to give you some time to consider it. So? What do you think?"

"What do _I_ think?" Lelouch said. Kallen was such a glorious mixture of fiery passion and concealed intellect. _I'll never be thankful enough that she came to Britannia. It'd have been such a waste to let her stagnate and fester in Area Eleven._ "I am _so_ glad my sisters introduced us. Consider us accomplices, Kallen."

Kallen held out her hand, her pinkie extended. Lelouch looked at it curiously before quirking an eyebrow in silent question.

"Yubikiri – a pinkie promise," Kallen said, rolling her eyes. "I could have sworn it'd crossed over the Pacific."

Shrugging, Lelouch said, "Maybe amongst the commoners, but not the nobility." Hazarding a guess, he curled his own pinkie finger around Kallen's. "So what do we do?"

"Well, we already know what the promise is, so…" Kallen grinned and moved their hands up and down in time with her words. "Cross my heart, hope to die, eat a thousand needles, if I lie."

Lelouch blinked. "Well, that's scary."

"That's kinda the point."

"A thousand needles? That seems a bit overkill."

Kallen shrugged. "In the full spirit of it, you'd cut off your pinkie instead."

"By the way," Lelouch said, not really having a response to that. This was either going to be amusing or very painful. "Are you aware that being a knightmare pilot means you _literally_ must be a knight? Or royalty. Nobility isn't enough."

Kallen frowned, understanding immediately. "So I'd have to swear fealty to you?"

"Would you rather swear it to the country and become a knight of the realm?"

"No. But I don't want our friendship to get…weird."

"Well, your only other option is to pick a prince and marry him."

" _Or_ ," Kallen said rather forcefully, making Lelouch grin, "we could just pretend."

"That would limit you to fighting as an unknown element as a knight without a name outside the command structure. A black knight, if you will."

"Black knights are cool," Kallen protested, although she put little heart into it.

"They're also insufferably frustrating to work with. How about this? When you step into a knightmare, you're my knight. When you step out, I release you from the vow."

"Fine, fine. I swear fealty to you when it suits our purposes."

Lelouch chuckled. "That was the single most uninspiring oath I've ever heard."

"Shut up."

End of Round Zero

* * *

 **A/N:** And thus ends R0. Kallen and Lelouch have lost a lot. Their patchwork family has scattered across the globe. But they are not without recourse. The bonds of family are knit closer than ever. They have resources at their disposal. And most of all, they have time. Opportunities abound for those who seize them. Join us next time as they cement their place in the world. R1 approaches.


	6. R1 S06 - First Steps

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 06 - First Steps

 **Tintagel Castle Military Base  
Pendragon, Britannia  
September 28, 2015 a.t.b.**

 _How I loathe fair fights._

"Q1," Lelouch said, "our right flank is being pushed back. Circle around behind them and pull fire from the enemy."

From over the speakers, Kallen's teasing voice replied, "Flanking an entire platoon by myself? Give me a challenge, why don't you?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes and ignored the comment. He certainly had every intention of pushing her until she literally blew up. More than any experience he or she got, these simulations of late were mostly for seeing how far he could stack the odds against Kallen before it became too much to overcome. He needed to know the limits to her frankly stupid overpoweredness.

"N1, N2. Fire uphill two-hundred metres ahead at any large rocks you can see."

Long since used to following seemingly meaningless orders, the pair immediately did as commanded. The resulting explosions set off a small rockslide that flushed four enemy units out of hiding, springing the trap early. Lelouch diverted a squad off from his nearest platoon to overwhelm the failed ambush.

 _At least I have a destructible environment to work with. What a nightmare this would be otherwise._

Lelouch tapped his finger against his cheek as he considered the centre of his formation. His current opponent usually preferred to take the offensive, and yet Lelouch was allowed to continually press forward. Slowly, sure, but he was gaining ground nonetheless.

"R1!" Lelouch said, his eyes widening. "Halt your company's advance. Expect a minefield in front of you of…at most a two-hundred metre radius."

His troops stopped moving forward within seconds. Lelouch smirked, chuckling to himself. It seemed old dogs could learn new tricks after all.

"P7, take your platoon and check the area ahead. If the mine placement is obvious, carefully advance through it to the other side. Bring anti-armour rounds, and don't draw attention to yourself until told otherwise or you're found."

"Yes, Your Highness," came the response. A group of twenty-two infantry split off from the rest of the group and slowly advanced forward. As they crept along, Lelouch knew his guess had indeed been correct.

Satisfied with the way things were going on the left and centre, Lelouch turned his attention back to the right. One little unit labelled Q1 was busy tearing its way through the environment and picking off fringe targets one by one. At least twenty knightmares must be chasing after her along with who knew how many infantry.

"Q1, any chance you can break through the lines and join the vanguard with R2?"

"Hmm…" After a few seconds, Kallen's unit on the map found itself perfectly positioned to fly forward in a straight line, pulled by a pair of slash harkens through the forest. Along the way, she even managed to partially disable one of the enemy knightmares on her path, the rest of which she otherwise outright ignored. "Yep. On my way."

Lelouch shook his head. "You are a bloody monster."

"I believe our friends here have taken to calling me the Red Dragoness, soooo yeah."

"I suppose every Ace needs a moniker. It's better than–" A thought struck Lelouch. "Wait. Are you _trying_ to get that name? Is that why you've been setting the battlefield on fire every time we fight in the forest?" He'd thought it was for crowd control and to confuse heat seeking missiles.

The silence that came in response was all the answer Lelouch needed. Adopting a sympathetic voice to go with his smirk, he teasingly said, "I'm so sorry, Kallen. I'll buy you something nice after this."

"Shut up!" After ignoring a slew of Kallen's muttered cursing, Lelouch heard her say, "I'm just tired of being called the Rose of Britannia."

"Ahhhh." Sudden understanding filled Lelouch. "That's why you changed your entire wardrobe before. Hmm… Was your last attempt something like the 'Crimson Flower'?"

Kallen muttered, "Crimson Lotus."

"Uh-huh. Just don't set the forest on fire again."

* * *

"Just don't set the forest on fire again."

"Roger that," Kallen shot back. "Whatever would I hookshot to without stable trees?"

Speaking of, Kallen spotted another pair of trees off in the distance she could use to sling herself forward. Veering to her right, she pushed her knightmare's landspinners to full power. She wove between the trees as quickly as her knightmare could manage, occasionally firing a slash harken at a smaller tree to yank her onto a more open path.

 _And three…two…one…_ Kallen held down the button to fire her left slash harken; her eyes then mapped out a path for it to travel. Trusting her knightmare's eye tracking software to do its job, she released the button and quickly repeated the action for her right slash harken. Both darted about the trees in front of her to anchor within the pair she wanted. _And go!_

A giddy laughter overtook Kallen as she flung herself in a wide arc, missing more than one tree by no more than a foot. At the end of her path, she released her slash harkens from their trees and let her knightmare fly forward. She landed heavily on the ground and rushed onward. According to her map, she was almost at her destination.

Half a minute later, Kallen broke into a clearing. _Oh, shite!_ She immediately fired her slash harkens to her right and pulled herself away from a massive quantity of gunfire. Now that they had fired upon her, she could pick out ten or so knightmares hidden behind the trees across the clearing.

"A little warning next time!" Kallen complained.

Lelouch deigned to respond, saying, "You obviously don't need it. Besides, I don't have a complete map, and you should have seen that coming. You're a high priority target."

Kallen winced at the rebuke, fair as it was. She had not in any sense of the word been subtle in her earlier departure, and her opponents _always_ relayed her last known location and heading directly to the top.

"Have fun scouting."

"Lelouch!" Not getting an answer, Kallen grumbled a few curses under her breath as she leapt into action.

Spotting a young tree behind an enemy knightmare, Kallen fired a slash harken into it right past her foe. He dodged and fired back at her, completely mistaking her true intention. Bracing herself against a much larger tree, she ripped the smaller one from the ground. It collided with her foe, knocking him prone. She herself grabbed hold of the tree when it came at her; it made for a good enough quarterstaff on a knightmare scale.

Kallen unholstered her knightmare's own gun for a brief moment to shoot her downed foe enough to ignite its sakuradite core, leaving the frame in pieces. That done, she dashed at her next two opponents, tanking what bullets she had to with her frame and, when able, her tree.

Once she was close enough, Kallen swung her tree staff. It disarmed one of her opponents. A quick follow-up slash harken kept the other off of her long enough for her to kick her current target into a tree and pin it there with her staff. She dodged out of the way of the rather predictable slash harkens that came at her. After she had, it was easy enough to use her only currently available one to disable her prone foe.

 _Two down, eightish more to go._

* * *

Jeremiah jerked when he felt bullets impacting his knightmare, veering off his current course to take cover behind a tree. He cursed himself for becoming distracted watching Lady Stadtfeld practically dancing as she tore through a veritable horde of enemies. Although their time together had been short, Empress Marianne had taught her well, and it showed.

"R1? How many enemies do you have visual of?"

The voice of his prince pulled Jeremiah fully back into his own mind. "Five who have fired and two off in the distance. Q1 might be able to see more from her position."

"No, that matches her report, too. She'll clear out the area. Split your company into two and flank both halves of our remaining enemy knightmares."

"Your will be done." Switching his microphone from his line to Lelouch, Jeremiah called out to his first direct subordinate. "Major Jackson." After getting a response, he said, "You're to take your company east and flank the enemy with R2's support."

"Roger."

On his map of the local area, Jeremiah saw half of his troops split off east. He took note of their new radio frequency. "Major Williams, with me." His remaining troops followed him off to the west. A few minutes later, he arrived at the fringes of their right flank; a minute after that, his entire battalion was with him.

"Our job is to flank and sweep through our enemy. Hit them hard, hit them fast, and don't stay long. Today, we're the cavalry." If Jeremiah had any particular flaw as a military man, he would be the first to admit he was not the most inspiring public speaker – certainly nowhere near the level of his prince. Still, with this much adrenaline in his men's veins, he hardly needed to be. "Charge!"

Flanked and outnumbered at least two-to-one, Jeremiah soon found his job completed with little to no effort on his part. That was the way Lelouch liked his battles. Jeremiah could appreciate the increased survival rate, but it was more than a little anticlimactic.

Sighing, Jeremiah set his men to sweep the forest for any missed enemy units.

* * *

"Wonderful! Simply wonderful!"

Lelouch found himself with the arm of Lord Michele Manfredi, the Knight of Two, around his shoulders and being ushered to a seat at a round table with lunch already laid out atop it. Kallen and Jeremiah were off washing away the sweat they had worked up over the past hour, leaving him alone with the giant, black-haired, violet-eyed man. Even considering that he still had some growing to do, the man towered over him.

"Thank you for the praise," Lelouch said as he sat down, "although the battle would have been far more difficult had you taken the field yourself."

"Consider it an equal handicap. I know you favour strategies and tactics not found in simulators. Besides, you weren't here merely to win."

"Well, I admit that's true." Lelouch found it unsurprising Lord Manfredi had picked up on that. He'd deliberately and flagrantly overextended his lines several times just to see and learn from what would happen. He added, "Nor do I need to fuel Kallen's ego anymore."

Lord Manfredi laughed, the sound coming out loud and booming. "She would certainly have kept me preoccupied; that's for sure. All you'd have needed to do is win the battle and then bring everyone left against me."

After quietly chuckling into his tea, Lelouch said, "I wouldn't suggest a duel to her, if I were you. She's still bitter about losing to Lady Ernst last year."

"Ah, yes. Dorothea showed us the recording of their match. We were all very impressed. I can only say she's gotten better since. Would you be willing to let me borrow her to put Luciano in his place?"

Lelouch scoffed. "You'd have to ask her, but I expect she will gladly accept. She hates Bradley as much as I do. I know the Knights of the Round take the strongest knights, but _him_?"

"Yes, well, your father may command us, but he doesn't work _with_ us. Good luck taking the matter up with him."

Lelouch said nothing to that. He would take the matter up with himself when he was emperor, if necessary. The Knight of Ten might not be an outright murderer, but the man might as well be; there was a good reason everyone called him the 'Vampire of Britannia'. With any luck, someone would kill him sooner rather than later.

"Anyway, if I remember correctly, your sixteenth birthday is coming up in December. Are you planning to join the military?"

"Eventually," was Lelouch's tentative answer. "There's little worthwhile conflict right now, however, which makes it appealing to stay a civilian."

"Things are heating up in Africa again," Lord Manfredi offered.

"No offence to her intended, but I wouldn't want to humiliate Cornelia."

That got another round of deep, rolling laughter from Lord Manfredi. "She'll appreciate that, I'm sure. Now you didn't hear this from me, but I believe Prince Schneizel has been commanded to take Siberia from Russia."

"Oh?" Lelouch said, for once enjoying playing at being a gossip. "Do tell me more."

"Well, if it were true, hypothetically speaking, I imagine war would break out as soon as we have an excuse."

"Hypothetically, of course."

"Indeed. And if it were true, which it is not, naturally–"

"Naturally," Lelouch echoed, nodding along.

"–then I imagine Prince Laertes would be placed in charge of the campaign."

"And," Lelouch said, "if one such as I were interested in humiliating a theoretical sibling for one's own gain, this 'Prince Laertes' of whom you speak would be an…acceptable casualty of war. I, of course, have never met the man."

"Of course," Lord Manfredi echoed, chuckling to himself.

"Well, I wouldn't want to go begging a favour of the Prime Minister. Would you be willing to keep me informed?"

"I could do that for your highness."

"Much appreciated." As Lelouch said the words, the door opened behind him. He twisted his head to find Kallen in shorts and a camisole. She still had a towel with her busy patting at her hair.

"Welcome back," Lelouch said.

"Hey, Lelouch. Remind me to get a haircut sometime soon, would you?"

Lelouch shrugged. "If I remember."

"Would the lovely countess care for a seat?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Lelouch noticed that Lord Manfredi had risen and pulled out a chair for Kallen. She rolled her eyes at the same time that Lelouch did.

"Do I look like I'm wearing some gaudy, restrictive dress?"

"Nevertheless."

Kallen rolled her eyes again but smiled. "It's good to see you, Lord Manfredi. It's been too long."

"I couldn't agree more, Milady." After everyone had taken a seat once more, Lord Manfredi then asked, "So how has life been treating you, Countess?"

"Oh, about as well as it can when living with Lelouch."

Quirking an eyebrow, Lelouch said, "And yet I can't help but observe that you never leave."

Kallen grinned. "True."

"Of course," Lord Manfredi said, "our offer is still open to you should you change your mind."

"As much as I wouldn't mind working with almost all of you, I don't think I'm Knight of the Round material. Besides, neither Lelouch nor I would be comfortable with me being the new Knight of Six."

What an understatement. Neither had been amused with the possible implications.

"As you wish," Lord Manfredi said with a sigh. "I expected no less, but a man can hope. Marianne would have been so proud of both of you."

"Thank you," Kallen said with a subdued expression. For his part, Lelouch simply nodded his acceptance of the compliment.

"Are things going well with the rest of your family?"

A rather mixed expression overcame Kallen. She said, "Well, they're still _alive_ , which is better than the alternative, but…" She sighed. "My place is here, and theirs is in Japan. Gran is doing well. Naoto is too stubborn to let me _at least_ claim him as a half-brother, let alone help him. Cousin Aki is backpacking in the EU. I still haven't been able to track down anyone else, though."

Let unsaid was the high probability that they were all dead.

"My condolences, then." After a moment of silence, Lord Manfredi said, "Now let us speak of happier matters. How long have you been operating on full manual?"

"Ah, since shortly before duelling Lady Ernst, actually," Kallen replied.

"And by 'shortly'," Lelouch said, "she means since she was tall enough to reach all of the controls." He ignored the glare sent his way, amused.

"It's true that Marianne had me on full manual when she gave me a few lessons at Aries Villa–"

Lelouch mouthed, "'A few'," to Lord Manfredi's amusement.

"–but I didn't start off as an Ace. The Ganymede, as good as it was at the time, isn't nearly as skill-intensive as a Sutherland. In the user interface aspect, that is."

"I've never had the privilege of piloting the Ganymede myself," Lord Manfredi said, "but yes, fifth gen knightmares have become much more…multifaceted than the third. From watching you fight, I suggest you try a Gloucester. They're a new derivative Sutherland frame focused on close combat."

Nodding, Kallen said, "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

Lelouch's phone vibrated. After checking the ID, Lelouch said, "I'll leave you two to talk shop. Be right back."

Off inside a small meeting room nearby, Lelouch answered the call. "Naoto?"

"Ah. Lelouch. I just wanted to tell you Mikoto wants to attend the ceremony."

Mental note made, Lelouch said, "Good. Are you sure I can't convince you to come? We both know Kallen misses you."

"No. I…" Lelouch could practically hear Naoto fidgeting uncomfortably on the other end of the phone.

"If it's a matter of money, Kallen and I can afford to both _buy_ you a plane and then laugh over the duplicate gift."

"Gran will need help getting there," Naoto said, "but it's not that. I'm needed here. I can't leave."

Lelouch mentally sighed to himself. Someday he needed to confront Naoto over his more illicit activities before Kallen found out. Lelouch hardly thought _that_ would go over well. Regardless of noble intentions, rebellion without active intent of revolution left much to be desired.

"Very well," Lelouch said. "I'm sure Kallen has told you this a hundred times before, but if you ever find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to call on either of us."

"Yes, I know. Later."

"Goodbye," Lelouch said, biting back a proper sigh. He tucked his phone away back in his pocket. There was little he could do about Naoto for now. Instead, he went to rejoin the table.

When not even half a step back inside, Kallen, who had her back to Lelouch, said, "And then, of course, Nunnally kissed the boy."

"What!" Lelouch roared.

Kallen glanced toward Lelouch with a smirk, her palm lying flat and extended toward Lord Manfredi. "Told you. That's a hundred quid you owe me." And the grudging exchange was made.

Knowing he'd been tricked, Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose while muttering all the horrible things he planned to do to Kallen.

"Poor Lelouch," Kallen said. "Soon you'll be the only one left in your family who's never been kissed. Even Nunnally will escape your protective clutches before long for that tender, sweet first embrace."

"And can you claim otherwise?" Lelouch calmly asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I don't have to," Kallen said, smirking, knowing perfectly well the double standard she was invoking. "I am a lady, a countess, an innocent maid."

"She's got you there," Lord Manfredi commented.

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Then I am the chivalrous prince filled with courtly love waiting for the right woman to capture my heart." He ignored Kallen's snickering. "If you must know, I know exactly what I both need and want in my _singular_ princess consort."

"Words I'd never have thought to hear from His Majesty's son," Lord Manfredi said. His tone and face spoke of suppressed laughter. Kallen was not even pretending.

"Anyway, I see no reason to court the wrong women. I don't need _that_ type of media attention nor the reputation, and especially not the wrath of those women scorned."

"Smart boy," Lord Manfredi said, clearly amused.

"I don't believe I've ever given the impression otherwise." Cutting Kallen off before she could say anything, Lelouch said, "I'm sure you two have already spoken of it, but I wanted to hear your thoughts on the tactics we three employed in our battle."

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
Pendragon, Britannia  
September 28, 2015 a.t.b.**

Locked away in Lelouch's office, they were finally alone after a long, long day out and about. Kallen collapsed into a chair. Briefly, she considered nodding off, but she figured she might as well have the chance to sleep on what she and Lelouch still had to talk about tonight. She let her head loll to the side to glance at him in the chair next to hers.

"So I heard we might be going off to war."

Lelouch's expression immediately turned more serious. "Very likely. Schneizel has been ordered to take Siberia."

Although Kallen was not surprised to hear that the emperor wanted to expand Britannian territory yet again, the exact target this time struck her as odd. "Not Russia?"

"No, just Siberia."

After a moment of thought, Kallen asked, "Why?" There was almost nothing of value in the region. The border to defend was enormous, the territory was not overly hospitable, and the people were few and far between. Once upon a time the natural gas, coal, and oil in the area would have been worth fighting for, but these days sakuradite was what truly mattered.

"I honestly haven't the foggiest."

"That…seems strange. Especially for the emperor."

Lelouch shrugged. "My best guess without more information would be he's looking for a third front against the Chinese Federation or the EU. At any rate, Laertes will be in charge."

It took a few seconds for Kallen to remember that particular sibling amongst all of Lelouch's brothers. "That prick who can't sleep in his own bed?" There were reasons why Nunnally was eighty-seventh in line for the throne despite being the sixth princess, and Laertes was one of them.

"You realise that describes nearly half of my brothers, right?" After Kallen had chuckled and nodded, Lelouch continued, "But yes. He's a competent enough field marshal when he has a good supporting staff, but he's not Cornelia, and he's definitely not Schneizel."

Seeing where this was going, Kallen added, "And he's not you."

With a nod, Lelouch said, "I'll be of age to take an official position in the military this December. Only fools invade Russia in the winter, but if it came to it, I'd be able to drag you along with me anywhere as my knight, even if that'd be before your birthday. This is your last chance to back out with clean hands."

"I came to you, if you'll remember."

"No qualms about conquering free nations for our own benefit?"

Kallen sighed. "Of course I have qualms. What we're going to do is objectively evil. I know you have them, too."

To anyone else, Lelouch probably looked completely unperturbed, but Kallen knew better. She knew him better than his own sister. It only took a second before Lelouch relented and admitted, "It'd be a lie if I said my choices don't make me feel uneasy. But the only _sensible_ options I can see before us are _all_ terrible."

"That's exactly how I feel." Kallen sighed. "If we lived in a gentler world…" But they did not. "Besides, _I_ should be the one asking you if you're ready."

"Oh?" Lelouch quirked an eyebrow.

A grin crept its way onto Kallen's face. "Yes. Is our whole plan going to fail because you can't run a mile to get through basic training?"

Lelouch rather predictably scowled as he scoffed. "I can run a mile if I _need_ to."

Regardless, both knew they would be skipping straight to command courtesy of Lelouch's royalty, so the point was moot. They were politicians and revolutionaries first and foremost, not soldiers, and that was the way it needed to stay. Britannia was militaristic enough already.

"Are you sure you're ready to say goodbye to Nunnally?" Kallen asked much more sincerely.

After sighing, Lelouch said, "It hardly matters whether I am or not. They can explain all they want, but I'll never understand why she and Euphemia didn't want to be homeschooled."

Kallen hummed in what she considered a playful manner, her index finger tapping against her cheek. "Weeeell, no matter how popular we might come to be with the people, neither of us can claim to lead a rich social life. Between finishing our education early and plotting a revolution, we don't get out much. Let's face it, Lelouch; we're total swots."

"Heh. I suppose I can't deny that. It was easy to get caught up in crushing you."

"Uh, excuse you," Kallen said. "Who exactly was it who got the perfect on our last exam?"

Ignoring Kallen, Lelouch's lips pressed together into a frown. "But still. To willing submit themselves to Milly… She hosted a cross-dressing festival last week and forced the entire student body to participate."

Kallen shook her head with a fond smile. By all standards, Milly was a tyrant, but her people loved her anyway.

"I suppose you do have a point," Kallen said. "Us being off fighting a war won't make us see them in person much less."

"So we're really doing this?" Lelouch asked one probably last time.

Kallen nodded. "For a better Britannia."

"And a gentler world," Lelouch said, echoing Kallen's earlier words. A second passed. "I'm going to love ordering you around."

Kallen hit Lelouch on the arm. She only wished she had a better angle to force more than a chuckle out of him.

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Britannia  
November 5, 2015 a.t.b.**

A faint buzzing pulled Lelouch out of his thoughts. He glanced down at his phone, finding a message from Jeremiah.

'Mrs Kōzuki is in room 108.'

'Be there soon,' Lelouch sent back.

Leaving the remaining preparations for the ceremony to the staff, Lelouch made his way to the specified room. There he found an elderly woman with thin, greying, brown hair speaking with Jeremiah. While she shared few physical traits with Kallen, there was no doubt she was the mother of Minami Stadtfeld.

Noticing his entrance, Mrs Kōzuki hurried to her feet, saying, "Your Highness."

"There's no need for that," Lelouch said, waving her back to her obviously much needed seat. Regardless of how well Kallen had looked after her grandmother _after_ being found, the years spent alone right after the Second Pacific War had taken their toll. "Don't let Jeremiah fool you. I don't stand on ceremony among friends and family."

Lelouch ignored the small snort from the man in question and continued, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your granddaughter has told me many stories."

After her blank stare had faded away, Mrs Kōzuki said, "Nothing too embarrassing, I hope." Her English was better than Lelouch had expected, but then her son-in-law had been a Britannian with only passable Japanese.

Before Lelouch could dismiss the very idea, Jeremiah said, "There was the matter of the biscuit and the shoe."

Mrs Kōzuki chuckled at the memory. "Ah, I wish she'd been too young to remember that." After glancing out the door Lelouch had neglected to close, she asked, "Will Kallen be joining us?"

"No, I'm afraid she won't be available until after the subsequent ball. Before the ceremony, she's required to spend the preceding night and morning in solitude. Officially, it's to pray for the strength of character to fulfil her duty. Jeremiah can tell you all about it."

The man in question let out a long sigh. "It is…very tedious. The so-called Holy Britannian Empire has been an exceedingly secular country since the reign of the ninetieth emperor, much as it was before the thirty-fourth emperor 'found God', but the ritual of the Solemn Vigil continues uninterrupted. I was permitted a sword, of course, but I don't expect that will be much comfort to Lady Stadtfeld." Needless to say, Jeremiah had passed the time working on his swordplay.

Seeing the unasked question in Mrs Kōzuki's eyes, Lelouch said, "Kallen is an apt swordswoman with a rapier. However" – he pointed to the sword hanging from Jeremiah's waist – "tradition requires her to bear a longsword today. I'm confident she will find another way to amuse herself."

"I see." A frown took root on Mrs Kōzuki's face and refused to leave. Eventually, she managed to ask, "Will she be safe?" Her eyes said that she already knew the answer, and Lelouch was not a fan of obvious lies.

"No." Before anyone else could say anything, Lelouch added, "But I intend to have her at my side until the very end. I will do everything within my power to see that she dies happy and of old age. Will that suffice?"

Lelouch waited patiently while Mrs Kōzuki searched him for, presumably, any sign of deception. Eventually, she acquiesced with a nod, reluctant though it was.

"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go finish preparations. Jeremiah, see to it that Mrs Kōzuki is situated somewhere our other guests won't harass her." Left unsaid was that Mrs Kōzuki would also be unable to overhear the less than kind things the nobility would no doubt have to say about Kallen. She was, after all, even further aligning herself with the commoner prince infecting the royal lineage than she already had.

Lelouch permitted himself a sigh after he departed. It was a very good thing his soon-to-be knight knew how to control her temper. She possessed good hearing, and their audience today would likely quietly voice their unsolicited opinions at the celebration after.

Just before Kallen's knighting ceremony was due to start, Lelouch found himself shocked when he noticed the most unexpected invited guest sitting in the front row between Schneizel and Lord Waldstein.

* * *

"Urgh! I'm so bored!" Kallen said as she swung her longsword around. She had no idea what she was doing, but short of breaking things, it was all she had. The bastards who had locked her in here had confiscated her book on entry.

 _Alright, Kallen. We've learnt a lesson today. We don't handle boredom well, especially not coupled with nervousness._

The sword in Kallen's hands nearly went flying as she spun in a circle. She strengthened her grip and stopped herself in place; the sword's momentum almost toppled her over.

 _Okay, we've learnt two things. One about boredom, and one about physics._

Kallen sighed as she glanced out the window. The sun was well over the horizon now.

 _I suppose I should shower and get changed. It can't be much longer now before I'm released from my imprisonment._

A half-hour and a mildly relaxing shower later, Kallen unpacked what would be her uniform whenever the occasion called for it. Jeremiah had his own as a vi Britannia knight and tended to wear it often. His was a white suit with golden trim and a purple cravat that he found easy to move about in while wearing. Lelouch had asked for his opinion as far as fitting went, but the uniform remained largely unchanged from his days serving under Marianne.

In the complete opposite approach, Kallen and Lelouch had worked together to design her uniform for the symbolism: black cloth with silver trim and golden buttons cut in a style reminiscent of the Knights of the Round's uniform. For those who looked for such subtleties, it all but screamed their disapproval for the emperor's policies.

Kallen held up the last part of her outfit and regarded it with a critical eye. _The cape really is a bit much. Still, it's ceremonial, and this_ is _a ceremony._ She dramatically twirled the cape over one arm to rest atop her shoulders then turned to look herself over in the mirror. Rather quietly even in her own mind, she admitted, _So wicked._

A knock came at the door.

 _Finally!_ "Come in!"

One of Kallen's evil gaolers entered and bowed. "There's fifteen minutes before your knighting begins, Lady Stadtfeld. Are you prepared?"

Suppressing the urge to vent her irritation and boredom, Kallen said, "Yes!" perhaps a little too eagerly. "I assume you're to take me to where I need to go."

After getting a nod, Kallen said, "Please lead the way."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 5, 2015 a.t.b.**

Euphemia frowned into the mirror as she got a good look at her brown hair. She hated dyeing it more than Nunnally. Cutting it had been even more unpleasant, although she did admit in private to Nunnally alone how much she enjoyed not having to take care of as much anymore. Still, it let her attend Ashford Academy without bodyguards constantly getting in the way or her peers fussing over her, so she accepted the situation for what it was. To everyone here, she was merely Euphyllia Linette – Euphie to her friends – the daughter of two marine biologists, the full-blooded sister of Nuuna Linette, and a childhood friend of Milly Ashford.

 _What time is it?_ Glancing around after she had left the bathroom, Euphemia found a clock hanging from the wall. _I still have a few minutes. That's plenty._

So satisfied, Euphemia began her journey from the girls hall to the student council building. Several open doors she passed by revealed groups of girls watching the news, excited. She was, too, of course, but her curiosity and confusion tempered the feeling. This was an unexpected move for Kallen and Lelouch.

Regardless, after a short walk, Euphemia made it to the student council's meeting room, where Milly had already set up a widescreen television for watching Kallen's knighting. Rivalz was, as usual, performing Milly's grunt work and ferrying snacks from the kitchen to their table. Euphemia smiled sympathetically at him and stole a handful of popcorn on his way by.

After saying hello to Nina, who remained ever slaving away on her laptop in dedication to her science projects, Euphemia sat down beside Nunnally. Technically, the latter was not old enough to be on the student council, but everyone accepted her as an honourary member nonetheless.

"Hey, Nuuna. Where's Milly and Shirley?"

"Milly is in the kitchen, I think, and Shirley is having one of her Lulu moments."

Euphemia quietly snickered so that only Nunnally could hear. "I'm not sure if I should tell Lelouch to visit more or less often. Poor Shirley."

A minute later, Milly appeared with Shirley and Rivalz in tow. The latter placed a bowl of crisps on the table and took his seat.

Milly, as usual, took her place at the head of the table, from where she addressed her subjects. "Today is an auspicious day, my friends. Today we honour our dear countess becoming a knight to everyone's favourite prince. Today we stand witness to history itself!"

"And when they next appear, we celebrate?"

"Yes, exactly!" Milly said, pointing at Nunnally. "Keep this up, Nuuna, and I'll name you president when I graduate."

Saluting and looking absolutely ridiculous as she did, Nunnally said, "Yes, Madam President, Sir, Ma'am!"

Milly turned to her next target. "Euphie, as vice president, I place you in charge of planning this festival. Be sure to run your idea by me first, and if you need any blackmail material to ensure our honourary members' attendance, don't hesitate to ask."

"Milly!" Shirley protested. "You shouldn't treat Lulu like that. He's a prince!"

Quietly, Nunnally commented, "Notice she said nothing about preserving the royal knight, Countess Stadtfeld's, dignity," to Euphemia. They both giggled.

"Nevermind that," Milly said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Knowing that she would get nowhere with Milly, Shirley immediately changed her target. "Euphie!"

"Sorry, Shirley. Prez's orders."

Despite the warning look and angry hum Shirley gave her, Euphemia remained unmoved. Lelouch and Kallen already visited too infrequently. If the matter sometimes had to be forced, so be it.

"It's starting!" Rivalz said.

Euphemia turned her attention to the television. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on an unexpected presence. _Father is there?_ It was almost unheard of for him to attend his children's _marriages_ , let alone their knighting ceremonies. Still, Marianne had been his favourite wife. Maybe this was not so surprising.

After one or two more minutes of the announcer speaking over nothing of interest, Kallen finally appeared. She crossed the long distance from the entrance at a dignified pace. Her cape billowed behind her as she made her way to her prince. Her steps fell in time to the Britannian National Anthem, measured and graceful.

The sun poured in through the windows to highlight Lelouch upon his throne. A boy not yet a man, his mere presence filled his what space his body could not.

Kallen knelt, and Lelouch rose.

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Britannia  
November 5, 2015 a.t.b.**

To the experienced eye, there was no hiding the twitch that ran through the soon-to-be Dame Kallen Stadtfeld nor the hitch in her step. Jeremiah could hardly blame her. Although such invitations were always sent out as a matter of formality, the emperor acted upon them with all the energy of a sloth in a hundred metre dash. Her eyes shifted next to the assembled Knights of the Round, Jeremiah himself, and then Lelouch.

Recovered in a moment, Lady Stadtfeld continued to the throne.

"Kallen Stadtfeld." The voice of Prince Lelouch vi Britannia resonated across the room, commanding both attention and silence. "Do you wish to accept the responsibilities of knighthood and fight as a champion of Britannia?"

On one knee before their common prince, Lady Stadtfeld delivered a solemn and resolute, "Yes, Your Highness."

"Do you pledge yourself to be sword and shield to this empire, devoted to its greater good?"

The following, "Yes, Your Highness," possessed a quiet life and energy absent from Lady Stadtfeld's previous reply. Jeremiah knew, of course, how much both she and Prince Lelouch appreciated irony. Everything about today from the obvious to the subtle was a statement from those two to the world. The knighting remained an afterthought.

Lady Stadtfeld drew her sword. She reversed it and offered it to Lelouch hilt first with the blade held directly in front of her heart.

Jeremiah permitted himself a small smile. The almost frail looking young woman that was Lady Stadtfeld had no trouble holding the longsword while Prince Lelouch's arms twitched under the weight. Nevertheless, the ceremony continued.

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, dub thee Dame Kallen Stadtfeld. May your courage and devotion become a shining example to the people of the empire."

Prince Lelouch returned the sword to Lady Stadtfeld held horizontally in his hands by the flat of the blade. She grasped both the hilt and the tip, returning it to its scabbard. He gestured for her to rise and turn to face their audience, and it was done.

Part of _Sir_ Jeremiah felt he should be offended. He knew this knighting was merely for show. Those two wanted Lady Stadtfeld in a knightmare independent of and entirely outside the regular chain of command and nothing more. But their loyalty and trust were well placed in each other, and in essence, that was what truly mattered.

Jeremiah was among the first to clap. Very few members of the audience could be described as being at least _indifferent_ to Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. An even smaller few had any reason to be anything _but_ indifferent in regard to Lady Stadtfeld. But with such icons as Prince Schneizel, more than half of the Knights of the Round, and the emperor himself joining in the applause, no one wanted to be singled out.

* * *

Kallen adjusted the rapier hanging from her belt, glad to have shed the weight of her ceremonial longsword. Heavy weaponry would never suit her, and she was not fool enough to challenge giants like Bismark Waldstein to a contest of physical strength with one. Besides, her hand curled around the hilt of her rapier to lovingly caress the artistic yet functional design. She much preferred this gift.

A knock came at the door. Kallen called out, "Enter!" and in walked Lelouch, her now liege lord and the only person in the world to whom she must answer.

"How are you feeling?" Lelouch asked.

"As though I've just sold my soul," Kallen said, earning a roll of Lelouch's eyes. She snickered, adding, "Are we ready to leave?"

"Not yet. We're waiting on your grandmother."

Kallen tripped over her thoughts as that processed. "I must have misheard you. Did you say Gran is here?"

"I invited her."

"You brought her into the heart of Britannia!"

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow, and Kallen stomped down on her rising temper. _He_ was the paranoid one. She told him that every time he went to micromanage the guard detail protecting his sisters at Ashford Academy. If her grandmother was here, she was safe.

"We'll be escorting her back to Japan as soon as she's ready to leave, so you'll have time to spend with her."

"Thank you," Kallen said. "But won't people be expecting me to see to security?"

"No, I've made it very clear that Jeremiah is the shield and you're the sword. No one expects anything more from you than you already do."

"Marvellous. How long after that before we march off to war?"

Lelouch adopted a slight frown. "I'm not sure. There's someone in Japan I want to recruit to our cause, but it might take some time."

"Who?"

A second passed before a smile overtook Lelouch's face, and he chuckled. "Have you ever wondered what my and Euphemia's daughter would be like?"

"Worryingly often," Kallen teased, drawing a scowl out of Lelouch. There had been a very brief time so long ago when Euphie's old infatuation with Lelouch had been requited.

"I don't know why I tell you things."

"If I told you, you might figure out how to stop."

"Bah!" Lelouch turned and walked out the door, throwing back a, "Let's go."

Snickering, Kallen followed after Lelouch as she contemplated who he had been referring to in Japan.

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace  
Government Borough, Area 11  
November 5, 2015 a.t.b.**

"It appears my little brother has gone and fallen for the charms of a beautiful woman," came the amused voice of Clovis.

"She certainly doesn't look like much. I doubt she'll be able to protect her prince."

"I'm more worried about the countess than the commoner. She's the last of her line."

Piercing violet eyes ignored the background chatter. They focused instead on the ceremony broadcast on the television, judging, evaluating. A knighting at Lelouch's and Lady Stadtfeld's ages was unusual in the extreme, especially so when the prince already had a knight in Sir Gottwald. And that was not to mention those who'd come to watch in person.

 _What did those two do to get the emperor to attend? This must be a first._ The view presented shifted. _So many Knights of the Round, too._

Fact and rumour mixed. Lelouch was Marianne's son. Lady Stadtfeld had turned down an invitation to the Knights of the Round. Both had lost the parental figures actively in their lives. The Stadtfeld family had been all but extinguished in revenge. The two were betrothed. The emperor had a hand in his favourite wife's assassination. Lelouch was secretly the crown prince and Odysseus a decoy. The commoners planned a second so-called Glorious Revolution with their prince as a figurehead.

"And your thoughts?" Clovis asked.

Seconds passed in consideration. Too much relied on supposition and possible coincidence to make any definitive conclusions about Lelouch's and Lady Stadtfeld's intentions or character. The ceremony bled subtle hints of discontent with the empire, yet the emperor had attended anyway. There were too many mixed messages. They could be a new ally or a deceptive enemy.

But there was one point of which Marrybell was entirely certain. "Lady Stadtfeld will make a good knight for Lelouch."

* * *

 **A/N:** You might be interested to note that the The Humiliation occurred after 1605 a.t.b.

Anyway, it turns out I respond _really well_ to ~100% positive feedback to the point that it actually knocked me out of my depression. Strange that, but a very welcome change nonetheless. In thanks for the glowing reviews, I've worked exclusively on this story to finish the Marrybell Arc (5 chapters, ~38k words). Enjoy.

Also, by the by, I intend to keep the tech creep in this story low. That said, the Lancelot/Guren will be around in their base forms in 2017.


	7. R1 S07 - Welcome to Area Eleven

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 07 - Welcome to Area Eleven

 **Viceroy's Palace  
Government Borough, Area 11  
November 9, 2015 a.t.b.**

The areas experienced terrorism and rebellion; this was a universal fact. Even Area One had its share of insurrectionists, few though they were. But nowhere did they flourish and thrive quite like Area Eleven. They were in the ghettos. They were in the mountains. They were in the countryside. They were in the cities. A few, no doubt, were even in the local army. It was all so very _frustrating_.

And then there was the corruption that enabled it all: the bribes, the concessions, the petty infighting, the unusually blatant discrimination. Area Eleven was a powder keg waiting to ignite that the current administration had no ability to handle. Clovis possessed a deft hand at domestic politics; he had to just to keep this area from collapsing under the weight of its own mismanagement. But Area Eleven needed more than a velvet glove to finally stabilise it.

Marrybell grew more thankful with each passing day that Clovis actually listened to her advice on occasion. If not, everything would be so much worse. The NAC needed a tighter leash, but their movements could provide valuable military insight. The emerging power of the purist faction in the government threatened to undo years of de-escalating tensions between Britannians and Japanese. The Chinese Federation lay waiting for Britannia to stumble in order to install Atsushi Sawasaki as the figurehead of a 'freed' Japan.

And now Marrybell's dear double agent had informed her of the Japanese Liberation Front's probable intention to storm the military base in Chiba and seize all of the knightmares held there. But that was fine. What was one more ball to juggle? First she had to decide whether or not to act on the information.

On the one hand, the JLF was too influential already and experience had left her with too little trust in Area Eleven's military's ability to defend itself. Losing a whole garrison's worth of Sutherlands could prove disastrous for years to come.

But on the other hand, if the Chiba base _couldn't_ defend itself from the remnants of the Japanese army on its own, their incompetence could prove a useful example. The more General Bartley Asprius and his men failed, the more Marrybell's own influence would grow. There was also the safety of her spy to consider. If she acted on all the information he sent her, it would put him in danger. _Everyone_ knew they were still friends.

Sighing, Marrybell decided it was time for a break. She grabbed her phone and called for her driver to come pick her up. She needed to trounce someone, an easy to win to lift her spirits. Luckily, there was always a line consisting of those wanting to try their hand against her.

* * *

 **Golding Casino  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 9, 2015 a.t.b.**

Marrybell almost felt bad winning this game. The man across from her was a bundle of frayed and worsening nerves. She suspected there was a bit more to his story than just wanting to challenge the undefeated chess queen.

 _Maybe I should let him win._ Marrybell considered that for only a moment before shaking her head. She didn't need the income, but she had a reputation to protect. The White Queen never lost. Still, she made a mental note to look into the man's circumstances later.

"Checkmate."

And that was the game. The man crumpled as his loss became final. After he left, one of the proprietors of the casino entered and approached.

"Always a pleasure doing business, Marrybell," Carrie said with a smile as she ran a hand through her long green hair. "A hundred-thousand quid this time minus handling fees. Shall I deposit it directly to your account as usual?"

"Yes, thank you," Marrybell replied. She was more than a little irked that her easy win had only made her feel uneasy in a different way, but sometimes such things happened. She had no cause to blame her hostess. "Where's your brother?"

"Cash is negotiating with some redhead for an expedited game with you. Her man wants to skip to the front of the line."

"Who is it?" Marrybell's curiosity was raised. Usually such requests were outright ignored.

Carrie smirked. "Goes by the handle 'Black Prince'."

Frowning, Marrybell asked, "Any relation to the Black King?"

"Hell no! Do you honestly think we'd let anyone associated with that cad in here?"

 _Then who…_ Marrybell's eyes widened. _Interesting._ "I'm up for another game. What are the stakes?"

"'One favour within reason' is what the girl said." Carrie then added, "Naturally, he's paying for the room."

"Send him up."

With a nod, Carrie departed back into the depths of her casino. Ten minutes later, she returned with both Cash and exactly the two guests Marrybell had expected. She rose from her seat as her brother approached.

"Lelouch, it's been years. It's good to see you."

"Likewise, Marrybell. Euphemia and Nunnally are in the area. Have you been to visit them?"

Marrybell shook her head. "Euphemia has come to see me a few times, but I've not had the pleasure of your sister's company since she was learning how to talk." She turned to regard 'the redhead'. "And this must be Countess Stadtfeld."

The girl in question glanced at Lelouch for a moment, strangely amused, before offering a short bow. "Yes. A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I certainly see the family resemblance."

Lelouch's gave a smothered laugh. "A private joke," he said.

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow but made no other comment. "We weren't expecting you two until Friday."

"I believe it would be more accurate to say Clovis doesn't expect us until Friday. We would appreciate it if it stayed that way. We'd like to settle in and visit friends and family before the balls and art exhibits begin."

"Your secret is safe with me."

Carrie and Cash promptly agreed.

"Well then, shall we get started?" Lelouch asked.

Marrybell nodded. She and her opponent sat down with Lady Stadtfeld watching from one side of the table and Carrie and Cash on the other. They set up the board – neither side needed to ask which colour – and the game began.

Marrybell opened with her pawn to E4 – popular, common, and not revealing. She raised an eyebrow to Lelouch's response. "The French Defence?"

"You'll have to forgive Lelouch," Lady Stadtfeld said as he chuckled. "He finds that it irritates most Britannians."

 _That or it serves as a quick judge of character._ Marrybell pushed her queen's pawn forward, and the game continued. She pressed the attack, but Lelouch made every step forward come at an almost unbearable cost. Better than any easy victory, _this_ was what she needed right now: a true challenge.

Lelouch placed a hand on a rook, considering. He switched to a bishop instead, trading it for Marrybell's knight. "I'm curious," he said. "Why do you remain in Japan?"

"Where else would I go?" Marrybell said as she noted the use of 'Japan' over 'Area Eleven'.

Shrugging, Lelouch said, "Pendragon, perhaps. As I said, I'm merely curious. Japan certainly isn't the most peaceful area, so relaxation is out, but there also hasn't been much to do here politically since Clovis became the Viceroy, so it's also not an ideal place to rebuild your power base."

"It's home," Marrybell simply said. She _had_ her own agenda, of course. Every royal did. Hers was just more difficult than most and would take time. She removed Lelouch's bishop from the board, idly noting Lady Stadtfeld's smile at her answer.

Lelouch took Marrybell's knight to finish their trade. "I can understand that," he said. "Still, you have options."

"Not many," Marrybell said. She moved her queen to pin Lelouch's king behind his queen. Rather than trading, he chose to place a knight in front of his queen.

"I don't believe that."

Rather flatly, Marrybell replied, "You'd be surprised how few opportunities trying to kill the emperor in front of a hundred witnesses leaves you."

Lelouch gave up position to take Marrybell's pawn. "You may have raised your hand against the emperor," he said, "but you survived disinheritance, exile, and war. Despite the high treason, only a fool would not admire your strength. Besides, you were a rash child at the time."

Marrybell reined in her temper, but a frown still emerged. "I imagine you came here for reasons other than to insult me."

"It's the truth, not an insult," Lelouch said simply. "Nor an unusual trait in children. Ask Kallen what the most foolish thing I've ever done is."

As requested, Marrybell turned to Lady Stadtfeld. Regardless of whether this was rehearsed or not, this would prove enlightening as to their intentions. She imagined they were trying to gain her aid with something, but for what had yet to be fully determined.

"Are you sure, Lelouch?" Lady Stadtfeld asked hesitantly. She fiddled with the cuff of her shirt. "I've never told anyone…"

The surprise on Lelouch's face was genuine as far as Marrybell could tell. "Really?" He took a pawn with his knight then nodded.

"Yeah. But alright. Shortly after Marianne was assassinated, the investigation into her death was closed without a proper conclusion. Lelouch had the brilliant idea to start a confrontation with the emperor, but I managed to intervene before he could." Lady Stadtfeld paused a moment. "That would have been about three weeks before you were sent to Japan, actually."

Marrybell's grip strengthened enough on her pawn that she feared breaking it in half.

"If not for Kallen," Lelouch said, "I have little doubt I'd have been the one sent to Japan. Probably with Nunnally. Instead, the emperor used the only target more vulnerable than a foolish little boy without a mother."

Lelouch moved his queen forward unexpectedly to threaten check the following turn. He _had_ been sheltering her and relying on her mobility to fend off attacks, but now she was on the offensive.

"We are more similar than you know."

"You know nothing of the hell I've endured."

Lelouch nodded his head in acquiescence of the point. Even so, he said, "You _have_ options, Marrybell. I am one of them." He moved his queen forward again to capture her own, leaving her in check but not without retaliation. "Stalemate in five."

Marrybell's head snapped up from the board. Her unyielding gaze accused him in ways words never could.

"I win allies," Lelouch said. "I neither want nor need to win against them. In time, I hope that is what we will be." He turned to Carrie and Cash, both stunned at seeing their White Queen forced into a stalemate. "You have a wonderful establishment. When time allows, I expect I will return here for another game in the future." He last turned to his knight. "Kallen, I believe we are expected elsewhere."

Lady Stadtfeld smirked. "And no doubt late by Milly's standards. We'd best hurry before she decides to find her old rope."

"Indeed. Until next time, Marrybell."

"Again, nice to meet you," Lady Stadtfeld added.

And then they were off without a word further like some natural disaster that had merely passed through and disrupted her life. Marrybell had vastly underestimated Lelouch vi Britannia. She could admit that to herself. In equal measure, she had mistaken his intentions in meeting her.

Marrybell shook her head. No, not his intentions. Those had been clear enough. Rather it was the scope and manner in which he'd chosen to pursue them that had caught her off guard. But now that she knew…

 _Very interesting._

* * *

Riding the lift down to the ground floor of the casino, Kallen found it impossible not to smile. _A stalemate! Of course he went for the forced stalemate! What else could I have expected?_

The lift bell rang, the doors opened, and the pair stepped out onto the casino floor. They made their way toward the main entrance where their chauffeur would be meeting them.

"You seem particularly amused," Lelouch commented.

Kallen's grin only widened. "I knew going into this that you wouldn't do something as mundane as appealing to her sense of logic or playing on her emotions, but you've outdone yourself."

"I rather agree. Playing to be stalemated is easy. Playing to stalemate without your opponent noticing is _hard_. And Marrybell was no easy opponent. I admit, however, the element of surprise did permit me a few less conventional tactics."

The pair briefly stopped at the reception desk to recover their coats.

"Are you sure you want to let…" _What were their names?_ "Cash and Carrie do what they will with that information about you?"

"It's harmless enough," Lelouch said with a shrug. "It might even help us in the long run if it found its way to the press."

"Alright." A moment passed. "Want to bet on how long until Marrybell challenges you for dominance?"

"The usual stakes?"

Kallen nodded.

"Before Friday, then."

"I'll take that wager. I expect she'll confront you at our welcome ball, but anytime after is my win, too."

"Deal."

They stepped outside and boarded their ride to Ashford Academy where they'd be staying until hazarding the perils of the Viceroy's Palace and Clovis's social gatherings. As they rode, Kallen gazed out the window at the Tokyo Settlement. So much had changed in the last five years. The city still sprawled off to the horizon with an almost utter lack of foliage, but the architecture had changed. Nothing was where it was supposed to be. The only recognisable building was the Tokyo Tower, and even that had lost its upper half to the war.

"If you want to spend the next few days exploring, you should," Lelouch offered. "I don't know when we'll next return."

"I'll consider it," Kallen said quietly. Being here was harder than she'd thought. It grew worse every time she came. Half of her hoped that Marrybell took a while to persuade while the other half was just as eager to leave the next day. "I do need to visit Naoto, though. It's been five years since I've gotten a proper hug out of that stubborn prat."

"Just be careful if you go into the ghetto."

"I know. Believe me, I know."

The remaining ride to Ashford Academy was a quiet affair with neither Lelouch nor Kallen having anything in particular to talk about. Of course, that peace could not last. The moment they stepped onto campus, they were accosted by both Milly and Nunnally, who dragged them off to the student council building. There the usual gang all greeted them.

Shirley Fenette still had a bad case of infatuation with Lelouch. Nina Einstein shied away at the outskirts. Rivalz Cardemonde treated Lelouch and Kallen as one of their own. And lastly there was Euphemia looking as strange as ever with brown hair falling only down to her shoulders. Nunnally, too, looked odd with blonde hair, but not as much. Strangest of all, Milly had yet to engage in any shenanigans; she must be waiting for another day.

As the informal party far from courtly affairs carried on into the night, a small voice in the back of Kallen's mind wished this could be her life – _could have been_ her life had she chosen differently. No responsibility. No grand plans. Just friends and fun. But that was the catch, was it not? Kōzuki Karen would not have appreciated this. Kallen Stadtfeld had no time for it.

"This is nice, isn't it?"

Kallen hummed her approval as she watched Shirley and Rivalz wrestle over a bottle of champagne they were 'too young to drink' – an odd quirk of Area Eleven inherited from Japan.

"Someday we'll have this again," Lelouch said.

Kallen returned the promise. "Someday."

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 12, 2015 a.t.b.**

Kallen kicked a loose rock on the streets of what used to be Ikebukuro, muttering, "Stupid Naoto." Just because she planned to be in Japan for 'a while', he apparently thought it would be okay to delay their reunion for a few more days.

 _I should storm Shinjuku and drag him out for a night on the town. I don't care what he's up to._

Of course, that would require finding out where Naoto lived, first. Kallen could go to the Government Borough and find out, but that risked letting everyone know she and Lelouch had arrived early. Besides, she would rather not sit through another unnecessary lecture on how unsafe the ghetto was for her when she found him.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Kallen decided to wander through the city on foot. Lelouch was off getting a feel for the area's politics with Jeremiah, and class was in session at Ashford, so she had nothing better to do.

The former Ikebukuro – Kallen had no idea what it was called now – prospered just as it had so long ago, only now Britannian faces far outnumbered Japanese ones and the language spoken and written had inverted. In many ways, very little had truly changed, only the people. She could still find stores peddling trinkets, and at least half of the restaurants she passed served _some_ form of Japanese cuisine.

Seeing an advert for takoyaki, Kallen detoured into a nearby cafe and placed an order. She'd not had any in seven, maybe eight years now. This was a mistake that _had_ to be corrected.

Once more walking the streets, Kallen eagerly popped an entire ball in her mouth.

"Mmm!" she hummed in delight. _Tastes like childhood!_

As Kallen neared the outskirts of the settlement and the border of the surrounding ghetto, the crowds grew less dense and the sound of feet and idle chatter died down to almost nothing. At the edge, Kallen leaned against the railing that overlooked the long fall from the settlement proper to the ruined city below. Electric lights were sparse in the ghetto, more than one building looked ready to collapse, and the only life commonly seen was the local flora slowly reclaiming the roads for nature.

 _What a waste and an eyesore. You'd think Clovis at least would want to repair the city for no other reason than that it's bloody depressing to look at. This isn't the 'glory of the Britannian Empire'. This is just our own failings on display for the whole world to see._

Kallen sighed as she nursed another takoyaki ball. There was nothing she could do to fix this, not right now. This was an institutional failure at the most fundamental level across the entire Britannian culture from the emperor all the way down to the commoners. When Lelouch was emperor, _then_ the healing could truly begin.

A stifled cry from behind further into the settlement pierced the silence. It sounded close. Indeed, when Kallen went to track down the source, she found a Japanese man being set upon by three Britannians.

 _Right then._ Kallen set aside her takoyaki for the moment and entered the alley. "Oi! What are you lot doing?"

The three aggressors turned to look at Kallen.

"Beat it!"

"This is no place for a bird."

Kallen pointedly ignored the command and stared them down.

"It's just an Eleven," said who Kallen suspected was the leader. "You'd best scarper while we're being gentlemanly."

"Three shady men in a dark alley pummelling someone. You all are obviously criminals. Doesn't matter who the current victim is."

The men approached. Kallen sized them up as they did. Even expecting a frail lady with no sense of self-preservation, they were sloppy and off-guard. This was almost not worth her time.

"Looks like the lady is volunteering to spend the day with us, doesn't it, boys?"

"Oh come on!" Kallen said. "Could you three be any more cliché?"

The three paused, obviously confused at Kallen's lack of distress.

"Do you know who I live with? Lelouch vi Britannia. He's one of the best orators in the world. You guys are pathetic."

Behind the three idiots, Kallen noticed the Japanese man limping away. _Good_ , she thought. _He'd only be a liability._ Some part of her did hope he had the decency to find help for her, though. Not that she needed it.

"I mean come on. Is this really the best you have? Show some pride in your intimidations."

One of the men reached out to grab Kallen. She responded by grabbing him instead and throwing him to the ground. A follow up stomp on his skull during the surprise that followed put him down for the fight.

"Yeah, no," Kallen said flatly.

And of course, the boss said, "Get her," as he drew a knife.

Kallen hopped back a step and unsheathed her concealed parrying dagger. Once she had that out, she removed her coat and waited for the men to advance.

The sound of pounding footsteps echoed down the alley. Kallen shifted a little to the left to look behind her opponents and saw a brown haired Japanese boy a little younger than her running toward them.

The underling who turned to look never even got a chance to defend himself. The boy jumped off a wall to deliver a kick from above straight down onto the man's head. The boy followed it up with a spin kick into the boss's side that sent the last man to the ground.

The boy rushed forward, one foot stomping on the man's chest and knocking the breath out of his lungs. Lastly, the boy trapped him in a choke hold until he passed out.

And that was it.

"Hey!" Kallen said. The boy looked up. "Those were _my_ opponents."

"Oh." The boy stood awkwardly as he glanced down at the two men he'd defeated and the third Kallen had previously dealt with. "Uh… Sorry?"

"No worries," a now smiling Kallen said. "I'm just joking. Thank you for the help. I much prefer decisive, unfair battles in real life. Not that they had a chance to begin with."

"Well, I'm glad I was in the area to help."

"One moment," Kallen said. She sheathed her dagger, put her coat back on, and withdrew her phone. She called the police to take the three men into custody, and that concluded all of the momentary distractions. "Would you care for some takoyaki?" she asked the boy. "I bought more than I think I can eat."

The boy looked surprised at the offer. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense. I have nothing else to do and enough income to feed Tokyo indefinitely."

"Alright, then."

The agreement was still hesitant, but agreement it was. The pair left the alley to recover Kallen's takoyaki and found a bench nearby to wait for the police to show.

"So what brings my white knight to my rescue all the way out here?" Kallen asked.

"Well, I just had a small meal with a friend at a cafe and wanted to see the ghetto before I took the train home."

"Girlfriend?"

The boy flushed bright red. "No! Of course not!"

"Oh? Why not?" Kallen pointed her half-eaten takoyaki on a stick at the boy's face. "That look clearly says you want her to be."

"I… No, I don't… She's…out of my league."

Kallen frowned. "Britannian?"

"Yes?"

"Don't let that stop you," Kallen said firmly. "There are more half-bloods than you might expect." And someday that would mean nothing.

"It's not that. She's not like that."

"Ah," Kallen said, dragging out the word in understanding. "Nobility?"

"Something like that," the boy said.

"I suppose that does complicate things. Still, it could work. Some Britannian nobles choose to live abroad."

"I'm _really_ not her type," the boy said firmly enough that Kallen decided to drop the subject. It was none of her business, anyway.

And that reminded her of something. "Sorry. I've been rude. I never caught your name. I'm Kallen Stadtfeld."

"Suzaku Kururugi," the boy said, clearly not recognising her.

 _Where have I heard_ – "The former prime minister's son?"

"Yes, actually," Kururugi said, surprised.

Kallen decided to answer the unasked question. "I lived in Japan for a time before returning to the homeland."

"Ah. That explains the takoyaki."

"No, takoyaki is just delicious." That drew a smile out of Kururugi. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but Princess Marrybell stayed with your family before the war, yes?"

A carefully guarded but almost painfully obvious Kururugi said, "Why do you ask?"

 _Oh dear. Out of his league indeed._ Kallen chose not to comment on Kururugi's luck in love. _Best not introduce him to Euphyllia Linette_. "I'm actually here with her brother, Lelouch."

 _That name_ Kururugi recognised. "You know him?"

"Well, I am his knight."

Kururugi's eyes widened, and Kallen laughed.

"You're having me on, aren't you?"

Kallen was about to answer when her phone vibrated. "Excuse me," she said. If Lelouch had sent her a message, it could be time-sensitive.

'Where are you?'

'Near the ghetto in Ikebukuro,' Kallen sent back. 'Doing something important. Is this urgent?'

A few seconds passed before Kallen received a reply. 'I'll tell you later. Watch for tails.'

Kallen frowned at the warning as she tucked her phone away. She hadn't noticed anyone following her, but then she also hadn't been paying much attention, either. Even so, she was reasonably sure no one was watching her right now.

"Is everything alright?" Kururugi asked.

"Never," Kallen said in jest. "But I've not been included in the call to arms."

"I see…" The truly sad thing was Kururugi probably understood the sentiment more than he let on.

"So there's something I'm very curious about," Kallen began. She knew most of Marrybell's background, but she only had her own opinions and Lelouch's suppositions for the more important details. "Why exactly did Her Highness return to Britannia? As I understand it, everyone thought she was dead."

"What? She was ten years old. Of course she returned to her family." Kururugi clearly tried his best to look confused, but it was no use.

"You expect me to believe she decided to put herself back under the power of a man she blamed" – _read 'blames' and rightly so_ – "for the death of her mother and little sister and who uprooted her from the Zevons' care long after to exile her to Japan because he was 'family'?"

Kururugi shifted uneasily on the bench. "When you put it like that, it does sound rather…foolish."

"And I _know_ Her Highness is no fool."

"Fine. It's true she didn't want to go back at first," Kururugi admitted, "but I convinced her to. What kind of life could she live as an Eleven who _everyone_ would hate or as a commoner on the streets?"

"Hmm…" Kallen sensed there was more to it than that, but the admission that Kururugi had convinced Marrybell was big enough on its own. She would ruminate on this later with Lelouch and attempt to divine the truth.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I do," Kallen said. "Just thinking about what she would have done if she'd had Britannian friends in the area" _like Lelouch would have had Milly._

"Something stubborn and foolish, I'm sure," Kururugi said with a laugh.

Kallen smothered a laugh of her own. "Yours, too, huh? Royalty, eh?"

Kururugi's eyes widened. "Wait. You weren't joking about–"

The piercing sound of a police siren steadily grew to fill the air.

"It seems the time for our friendly chat is over." Kallen stood and straightened out her slightly rumpled coat. "It was good meeting you, Kururugi. I'm sure we'll meet again in the future."

* * *

 **Britannian Army Garrison Tokyo  
Government Borough, Area 11  
November 12, 2015 a.t.b.**

While His Highness was busy quietly determining the lie of the land safe within the Government Borough, Jeremiah had been given leave and implicit encouragement to reconnect with old friends stationed in the Tokyo Settlement.

And so Jeremiah approached a poker game already in progress. Standing behind an open seat, he asked, "Deal me in?"

Faces looked up from their hands. Several recognised him, but only two _knew_ him.

"Jerry?" Kewell said in surprise.

"It _is_ him," Villetta said. "What are you doing here?"

"My prince requested I arrive early to acquire secure housing closer to his friends, the Ashfords. Now that I have, I thought I'd come say hello."

"Well, sit down, then," Kewell said. "Ten pounds to play."

Jeremiah threw a tenner into a pile with a half-dozen others and received a stack of chips in return. He sat down and happily joined the game as though he were back at the Royal Military Academy so many years ago.

And, of course, Jeremiah lost as he always had.

"Bad luck, my friend," Kewell said with a pat on Jeremiah's back once it was all over.

"Like you're one to talk," Jeremiah sent back.

They both turned to look at Villetta, who was happily counting her winnings. She looked up at them. "What?"

"Nothing," Kewell said.

Jeremiah added, "I swear she cheats."

"I see you've changed no more than Kewell has," Villetta said with some amusement. She pocketed her money. "How is life as a royal knight?"

"Good for the greater part," Jeremiah said. "Prince Lelouch is demanding but fair and highly competent in anything he personally involves himself. It was an honour to serve Empress Marianne but a privilege to be allowed to work alongside her son. How is life in" – he hesitated a moment, almost saying 'Japan' – "Area Eleven."

"Awful," Kewell said simply.

Jeremiah turned to Villetta for further elaboration.

"Everyday there's a new report of terrorist activity somewhere in the area. For every rebel you capture, two more slip away. For every terrorist you kill, four more take their place. The Eleven civilians never help, not even the 'honourary Britannians', and don't get me started on the ones in the army."

"The old tubes running throughout the country make it bloody impossible to catch anyone," Kewell added. "You think you've got a terrorist cell backed into a corner, but then you realise they left an hour ago through some hole in the ground. You reduce the entrance to rubble only to find out it's been opened back up a week later."

Villetta chimed in, adding, "And there are _thousands_ of entrances, so we can't simply guard them. The terrorists make us look more and more incompetent everyday. They don't do any real damage, but they're an unignorable irritant. The JLF at least has the decency to form a coherent mass for us to fight once in a while."

"Sounds rough," Jeremiah said. He felt for them. Truly, he did. Had his prince been exiled to Japan and never returned, he most likely would be here too suffering the same pain.

"You'll have to buy us a drink sometime with all that easy money. That or lose more to us."

Jeremiah laughed. "I wouldn't exactly call my job 'easy money', but I suppose the former is a wish I can grant."

"How long will you be in Area Eleven?" Villetta asked.

"Anywhere from a couple weeks to the end of winter, I expect," Jeremiah said.

Kewell chuckled. "Does your prince realise there are better places to flee the cold? Warm and sunny places with plenty of beautiful women. Area Seven comes to mind."

"As much as I wish this were a holiday, we're here on business, not for beaches and bikinis."

"What son of the emperor _isn't_ looking for bikinis?"

Jeremiah and Kewell shared a hearty round of laughter while Villetta rolled her eyes and mumbled something about men.

"Ah…" Jeremiah breathed as he calmed. "Anything or anyone I should be wary of regarding His Highness's safety while in Area Eleven? Other than terrorists and Prince Clovis's parties, of course."

"The purists," Villetta said.

"Oh? They would raise their hand against a prince of Britannia?"

"Against a _French_ prince?" Villetta said. "Most definitely." To Jeremiah's disappointed look, she raised her hands in peace. "I'm sure Prince Lelouch is a wonderful person given all that his mother did for the empire. The purists are a relatively new group right now, though, and as such consist mostly of radicals. They have some good points and will probably mellow with time to attract greater membership, but for now they are what they are."

"I see." And the purists were primarily housed in the Government Borough within the Tokyo Settlement where Prince Lelouch was currently alone and unprotected, if in disguise. _Troubling._ "Anything else?"

"The ghettos at night are terrifying," Kewell said. "During daylight, too, but even otherwise peaceful and productive Elevens sometimes get pissed or drugged enough at night to lash out. And in groups."

"You have that serious of a drug problem here?"

Villetta sighed. "Jeremiah, we have _every_ variety of problem here. Let's be honest. We're trying to rule a half-conquered people whose standard of living dropped drastically. If they'd just fought to the end instead of surrendering early when their prime minister offed himself, things probably wouldn't be nearly as bad, but they did, and now we have to deal with it."

 _It's worse here than His Highness suspected._ "Thanks for the information, both of you. I should be getting back to work for now, however. Call me when you're free for drinks sometime."

"We will," Kewell promised.

"Don't be a stranger," Villetta added.

"I won't," Jeremiah said, and then he was off to collect his prince.

* * *

 _The situation here is worse than I thought,_ Lelouch said to himself as he browsed through financial records and military reports. _I don't know whether I should call Clovis incompetent or a genius. Even_ I _would have trouble holding this government together for long, let alone five years. How did this happen?_

Lelouch's head shot up when he heard a muffled grunt from nearby and what sounded like a body hitting the floor. Silently, he withdrew his pistol and held it beneath the table he'd been reading at. He tilted his head back down and waited, watching.

A figure appeared.

"Oh, Jeremiah, it's you." Lelouch put away his gun. "What was that noise I heard?"

"I had to convince someone it's impolite to spy on an imperial prince."

Lelouch snorted. "I imagine your argument was more physical than mine would have been."

Jeremiah smiled and bowed slightly as if to say, "Quite right."

"Who was it?"

"From the uniform, a member of the purist faction, I believe. I spoke with a couple friends of mine, and they warned me the group could be a threat to your continued good health."

Lelouch placed his chin between thumb and forefinger as he thought. _I expected them to try_ something _, but I still doubt they'll move against me directly._

A thought occurred. Lelouch pulled out his phone and sent a text to Kallen. 'Where are you?'

'Near the ghetto in Ikebukuro,' Kallen soon sent back. 'Doing something important. Is this urgent?'

' _Doing something important'? I wonder if she found out about Naoto's resistance group and is yelling at him._ Lelouch thought about that for a moment before discarding the idea. She'd been too affable to have discovered _that_ little secret. _At any rate, she should be fine on her own. It's not like she would ever trust a Britannian calling themself a purist._

'I'll tell you later.' Lelouch added a brief warning before putting his phone away. 'Watch for tails.'

"So what did you discover about Area Eleven?" Lelouch asked.

"To be frank, it's a mess."

"Yes, my thoughts, too. But there's not much we can gain from going to the monumental effort of fixing it before the strain shows. Marrybell might appreciate it, but even she's not worth such an investment of time."

"With respect, Your Highness," Jeremiah began, "Japan's sakuradite supply is crucial to Britannian war efforts. If it falls…"

"It won't fall anytime soon." As strange as it sounded even to Lelouch, Clovis had proven himself a capable enough administrator to hold Area Eleven together for at least another year or two, perhaps even longer. "Nor do I have any interest in repairing what's not yet broken. The emperor will send someone to fix the situation when it becomes necessary."

"Are you expecting to be that person?"

"I have mixed feelings on that prospect," Lelouch said simply, and he left it at that. If he _was_ chosen, he felt confident in his ability to pacify Area Eleven. He even felt confident he could do it in a way that Kallen would be reasonably at ease with, although that would take longer. No doubt it would also demonstrate his own ability to govern in difficult circumstances. Yet there was so much that could go wrong and entirely too much work to do that would distract him from more important affairs.

Lelouch gathered the documents he'd removed from the local government's archives for reshelving later. He had enough to work with for now, so it was time to head back to Ashford Academy and his family.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 12, 2015 a.t.b.**

"You met Suzaku Kururugi?" Lelouch said, for once caught completely by surprise.

Kallen nodded. "He was having a not-date with Marrybell, apparently."

"If she's maintaining her friendships with numbers, all the more reason to recruit her," Lelouch said half to himself. Finding such tolerance amongst the imperial family was rare, but more importantly, the danger of her turning was too great to risk. He _did not_ want her as an enemy.

"Anyway, I talked with Kururugi for a few minutes. I got him to tell me that _he_ was the one who convinced Marrybell to return to Britannia. Supposedly for her own sake, but I felt like he wasn't telling me everything."

"Now that's interesting," Lelouch said. "Assuming he had even the slightest knowledge of recent Britannian history at the end of the war, he would have asked Marrybell to return for the sake of his people. Britannia _does not_ like dead royalty. Area Seven is proof enough of that. If the populace, let alone Clovis, thought they were responsible for her death, the oppression would be that much worse."

Kallen hesitated a moment before asking, "Is it really that simple?"

Lelouch shrugged. "Possibly. Maybe Kururugi really did just care for her welfare and presented an argument she couldn't refuse. Maybe it's neither. Maybe they have some grand plan for the future like us. Who knows?"

A knock came on the door to the student council's meeting room.

"Come in!" Lelouch called out. It was Euphemia. "I thought you went back to the girls hall."

"I did. Nunnally is asleep." Lelouch and Kallen both waited patiently to hear why Euphemia had returned. Eventually, she asked, "What are you two planning?"

Lelouch glanced at Kallen out of the corner of his eye to see her signal that she would let him take the lead on this one.

"What do you mean?"

Euphemia pointed at Lelouch. "You knighted her." She shifted her finger to point to Kallen. "You let him knight you. Neither of you would have done that without a reason."

"And what do you think that reason is?" Lelouch asked.

"It can't be for protection. Cornelia has custody of her, and there's no one else who–" Euphemia paused as she realised what she'd just said. "Wait. You would have needed Cornelia's permission for this. Does she know what you're up to?"

"Approximately," Lelouch said. Neither he nor Kallen had told Cornelia _exactly_ what they planned to do, but she knew they wanted the throne, could probably guess why, and had no interest in it herself.

"And she approved?"

"More chose not to interfere," Kallen said when Lelouch hesitated to answer. Cornelia disapproved of them starting their quest for the throne so young but knew there was little she could do to stop them once they'd both turned sixteen. It never needed to be said that she would support them when the time came.

"I see." Euphemia heaved a deep sigh. "Is it too much to ask for you two to just…stay?"

A larger part of Lelouch than he would like to admit regretted saying, "Yes."

"I'm sorry, Euphie," Kallen added.

"Will you at least tell me what your goal is? I promise I won't tell anyone."

After debating for a few seconds within his mind, Lelouch decided to trust Euphemia with the information. She would be safer not knowing, only guessing, but not by much. "What other ambition does a prince have than to be king?"

Euphemia's eyes widened before settling into gentle acceptance. "I suppose I should have known." She turned to Kallen. "Please keep him safe."

"I always planned to," Kallen said.

Euphemia stepped forward to give Kallen a hug. She then turned on Lelouch. "And you. Don't you dare throw Kallen into something she can't handle. Understand?"

"Perfectly."

Euphemia offered a hug to Lelouch, too, which he accepted.

"Both of you have to promise to come back."

Kallen said, "Of course."

Lelouch said, "Our deaths wouldn't fit into our plans."

"Lelouch." He could _feel_ Kallen rolling her eyes as she nudged him with her elbow and Euphemia giggled.

"I'll leave you two to plot in peace for now. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Euphie."

Lelouch added, "Pleasant dreams."

Once Euphemia was gone, Kallen spoke up. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Thursday?"

"Nope."

Lelouch glanced at the clock. It was a few minutes after midnight. "Friday, then."

"Which means…"

It took a few seconds of searching his memory, but in the end, Lelouch understood what had Kallen smirking. "It seems I underestimated Marrybell's patience."

"Or her willingness to let us 'settle in and visit friends and family'. Or perhaps something else. Regardless, I'll be collecting your forfeit when we're less busy."

"Hmph. Very well. I'll see you in the morning." As Lelouch left the meeting room to find his bedroom within the student council building, he added, "And don't forget that swords are not accessories for a dress."

"Yeah, yeah," Kallen carelessly tossed back.

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace  
Government Borough, Area 11  
November 13, 2015 a.t.b.**

Lelouch held out his arm for Kallen as was proper. She took it, and together they made their way inside to their welcome party. He had on a simple dress shirt and dinner jacket he was sure Clovis would scoff at ever donning himself while Kallen wore an elegant red dress that reminded Lelouch why he never tried too hard to avoid formal affairs. Euphemia must have helped with her hair, as it was tied up in an intricate style he doubted she could manage unassisted. It let a few stray locks curl down to her shoulders and left the nape of her neck exposed.

Kallen's chuckle when she caught him staring out of the corner of his eye brought Lelouch's focus back to the present. They entered Clovis's palace, divested themselves of their coats, and were then shown to the ballroom. The court marshal announced their arrival with Clovis appearing soon after wearing an outfit with more frills than Kallen's dress.

Of course, Kallen's dress _had_ no frills, but the point remained. Clovis always did have the strangest fashion sense.

"Lelouch, you're late to your own party."

"I prefer the term 'last to arrive'."

"Baron Gordiengo expressly informed me of plans to arrive an hour from now," Clovis countered.

"Then 'fashionably late', if you must."

Clovis ran a sceptical eye from Lelouch's head to his feet and back up again. "I believe we will stick with 'late'."

Lelouch gave a slight bow and a wave of his free hand in acknowledgement of his defeat; he held no interest in debating clothes with his brother. Clovis then turned to address his date.

"Kallen, it's lovely to see you again." Clovis took her hand to kiss it in greeting. "As a flower blossoms in spring, you grow more beautiful everyday."

"And you more shameless in your flattery."

Clovis drew back in mock offence. "I have never once delivered an insincere compliment to a lady."

"Oh?" An amused hum emanated from Kallen. "Then perhaps we should ask my escort his opinion."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "In this instance, Milady, my brother cannot prove himself a liar, for there is no vision more beautiful nor a sight more striking than a single rose blooming alone among mere tulips and pansies."

"Lelouch!" Clovis said. "We'll make a poet of you yet!"

"Not bad," Kallen admitted.

"I try."

"Well then," Clovis said, "I do believe it's time to begin introductions."

And so Lelouch and Kallen spent the next couple hours socialising among the elite of Area Eleven with Clovis introducing them to an endless sequence of politicians, nobles, and businessmen. A few people they already knew, but most were both new faces and newly titled with domains in the recently conquered Japan.

And then there was Lord James Machlin who led the purist faction, an otherwise unremarkable man. They had barely gotten past hello, and Lelouch could already sense Kallen's patience straining to hold her temper in check.

"My organisation has personally managed to eradicate four terrorist cells since our formation, and we're closing in on a fifth in the Shinjuku Ghetto. We believe our success comes from the lack of the Elevens' involvement in our affairs. I have no doubt the filth in the rest of the army reports on its movements to the terrorists. And then there's Princess Marrybell's pet."

Above the background chatter of the hall, Lelouch noticed the latest song come to an end. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he said, "Excuse me, Lord Machlin, but I believe I've promised Kallen a dance tonight. Kallen?" He held his hand out in offer.

Kallen showed Lelouch a grateful smile as she took his hand. "I was getting worried. Perhaps you should ask your brother for advice on women."

"A fine idea," Clovis commented.

"Oh? I know what advice most of my brothers would give me." Leaning closer, Lelouch whispered, "Kallen, my dear, if you want my attention at night, you need only ask."

Clovis erupted into laughter as Lelouch led a lightly flushed Kallen away to the dance floor. He put his free hand on her back. She placed hers on his shoulder. The music started, and they waltzed.

"You've been spending too much time with Milly," Kallen accused.

"I'm on the same landmass," Lelouch said flatly. "Of course I have."

Kallen chuckled. "Thank you for pulling us away. I wanted to punch that arse."

The sentiment was mutual. "You might get your chance before we leave Japan."

"I'll be looking forward to it."

As they moved in step with the music, Kallen hummed in contentment with her eyes closed, trusting Lelouch not to let them crash.

"What is it?" Lelouch asked, curious.

"We should go dancing more often. It's the one thing I enjoy about these parties."

"Any excuse to get you in a dress."

"Shush," Kallen said, smiling. "You're ruining the moment early."

"Early?" Lelouch asked, quirking an eyebrow to no effect with Kallen not looking.

"Marrybell is headed this way."

Glancing over Kallen's shoulder at the crowd, Lelouch did indeed find his half-sister approaching the edge of the dance floor. Her gaze met his, and he knew she wanted a dance. "Ah."

A minute later, the song ended. With the promise to continue later, they made their way over to Marrybell, who asked, "May I have the next dance?"

Kallen released Lelouch's arm, saying, "He's all yours. Have fun."

The next song started, and the dance began.

"I admit," Lelouch said, "I expected you to approach me sooner."

"I happened to overhear your wager with the countess and thought I would take my revenge for my loss."

Lelouch assumed that by 'overhear' Marrybell meant 'view security footage of'. Not that he was crass enough to ask. He remained silent in his defeat. A frown marred his features as he wondered if Kallen had expected Marrybell to do exactly as she had.

"Feeling cheated?" Marrybell asked.

"Hardly. I imagine Kallen anticipated your actions. She has a helpful habit of picking up on things I miss, sometimes to my detriment."

"Sounds nice."

"It is indeed. But perhaps we should speak more than mere pleasantries."

"Quite."

"Then let us be frank. I want to be emperor."

"And what if I said I want to be empress?"

"I apologise," Lelouch said, "but I have someone else in mind for that role."

A laugh escaped Marrybell. "Not even acknowledging me as a rival?"

"You would be a fierce opponent leading a rebellion from outside Britannia."

"Don't tempt me."

Lelouch passed on commenting how unlikely he felt it would be for her to follow through. Marrybell's best bet would be to mold Japan's disenfranchised citizens into revolutionaries. No other place would so readily provide an army. But after what happened to her mother and sister, even if she mostly blamed their father, he doubted she could stomach working with terrorists long enough to turn them into a fighting force she could be proud to lead.

Instead, Lelouch said, "Our aspirations for Britannia are not incompatible nor exist for dissimilar reasons. Unless you choose to bow out early, we _will_ eventually fight for dominance. We both know this. I want to resolve this _now_ so that we may work together and maximise our chances of success in our larger goals."

"And when our resources are so disparate," Marrybell replied. "I do not command the same level of influence amongst some of our key siblings as you. Nor do I have the devotion of such a masterful Ace devicer. Why would I commit to such an unfair gamble so early?"

"Life is not fair, Marrybell." Although Lelouch said that, he had the distinct impression that something she'd just said had been not a lie but misleading. "And my opportunities will multiply faster than yours. Personally, I believe I am being very gentlemanly in approaching you now rather than later."

Marrybell hummed in interest. "And how do you suggest we resolve our power struggle?"

"I'm sure a suitable opportunity will present itself soon enough."

Frowning, Marrybell said, "Usually when one says something like that it means they intend to engineer a seemingly innocent yet extraordinarily biased wager."

"You accuse me unfairly!" Lelouch said, and they both knew the words for the obvious lie they were. For them, deception was as important and as testable a skill as any other, as was the ability to see traps for what they were in whatever form they took. To Marrybell's slightly amused stare, he added, "In truth, I suspect the purists will attempt to inconvenience me before I take leave of Japan. I expect an appropriate moment for us to resolve our differences will emerge from the conflict."

"Hmm. Well, we'll have to wait and see, then."

Once they finished their dance together, Marrybell said, "You should consider rescuing your empress. The man she's speaking with is a purist noble."

"She probably knows," Lelouch replied. _And after she just escaped another._ "Nonetheless, I do believe I would appreciate another dance more than whatever information the man might let slip."

* * *

 **A/N:** If you're wondering, yes, I am a big fan of _Dragon Quest VIII_. Love the story, love the characters, love the gameplay, love the comedy, and most of all, love the voice acting in the English version.


	8. R1 S08 - The Wager

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 08 - The Wager

 **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11  
November 16, 2015 a.t.b.**

"Naoto, I've been here for an entire week now. When…" The irked voice of Kallen trailed off for a crestfallen version to replace it. "Do you not want to see me?"

"It's not that, Kallen," Naoto replied, wishing he could reach through his phone to reassure his little sister in person.

"Then what is it?" Kallen demanded. "I'm starting to wonder. You never let me help you. You're always busy. You won't even let me claim you as a half-brother."

Firmly, Naoto said, "We're not soiling Dad's memory with an invented love affair or publicly exposing you as a half-blood."

"Is it my knighting? I only answer to Lelouch, if you didn't know. You like Lelouch."

"Kallen, I'm not ashamed of you."

"Then help me understand!" Kallen said, coming dangerously close to begging. "Please."

"I can't leave the ghetto right now. That's all. Really."

"Then–"

Naoto cut Kallen off, resolutely stating, "And you are not coming here. Alone would be dangerous for you. In force would attract attention neither of us wants."

A rather bitter, "I need to go. Later," was the only reply Naoto received before the call ended. He stared at his phone with a heavy weight in his chest feeling like more of an arse than at any other time in his life.

"Oi, Naoto!" The man in question turned to find Kaname approaching. "We have another report of 'investigators' coming."

Naoto heaved a heavy sigh. This was the fifth incident in as many days, each more brutal than the last. Whoever was in charge of the operation in the Britannian military was _obviously_ trying to provoke a fight. It was a disgusting tactic, but one he could admit had a certain pragmatic appeal. It'd worked terrible wonders against the neighbouring and now deceased resistance cell in Shibuya.

"Gather the usual team. We'll observe and handle the aftermath." Hopefully they could discover who was behind this, too.

"Alright."

"Wait. Have Tamaki-san act as our rearguard. I'm not confident his temper will hold this time, and we really can't afford to spring the trap without knowing what's waiting for us. Not unless we absolutely must."

Today was going to be another long day.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 16, 2015 a.t.b.**

Kallen's fingers curled tightly around her phone as her knuckles turned white. "Baka," she muttered to herself.

Rather than spend the day trying to snap her phone in half with one hand, Kallen put it away into her pocket and left her bedroom. Now that she and Lelouch were officially in town, Milly had decided to throw yet another welcoming party for them. This one would consist only of Ashford students, but there would be delicious treats and dancing all the same, so it was not a total loss.

Of course, Milly had demanded both Kallen and Lelouch help set up. _So bloody typical…_

In the foyer of the student council building, an area large and open enough to hold a ball, Kallen found exactly the person she needed to talk to slaving away under Milly's direction. All protests from Milly ignored, she pulled him aside for a private word.

"Lelouch, can you think of a reason why Naoto wouldn't want to see me other than that he just doesn't want to?"

"Hundreds," Lelouch replied with an offhanded ease and vagueness that made Kallen acutely aware of him attempting misdirection. She narrowed her eyebrows.

"Let me rephrase my question. Do you know why Naoto doesn't want to see me?"

"No."

"But you have a good guess."

"I do." No longer resisting, Lelouch finally volunteered information. "But only because after he first refused your assistance years ago, I requested the Shinozaki to quietly check on him once in a while just in case."

Kallen's expression softened slightly. "Well, thank you for that. Now why won't he come see me?"

"It would be best if you found out from him," Lelouch said. "Both for your relationship with him and because I doubt he would appreciate learning that he has ninja spying on him, if only rarely."

"Hmph. Very well. I was planning on doing so anyway."

As they returned to work, Kallen made a mental note to find out what office in the Government Borough she had to visit to uncover Naoto's residential address.

* * *

 **Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11  
November 16, 2015 a.t.b.**

"I t-told you I don't – don't know anything!"

Naoto winced as the sobbing woman received yet another heavy blow, this time to her face. A tooth flew loose, and there was so much blood. The Britannian officer interrogating her was holding nothing back today in this very public demonstration.

Worse was the thought that this exact same scene was playing out in several other places nearby.

Worst was that its entire purpose was to bait Naoto's resistance into openly revealing themselves from among the crowd.

Not that these monsters would be incapable of finding another excuse to overly subjugate his people. The local resistance was merely today's reason. Naoto knew how Britannia operated, he suspected, even more so than his sister. The numbers needed to be kept in line until they died out, interbred out of existence, or no longer knew anything but their masters.

Kaname shifted beside Naoto. He placed a gentle but firm hand on Kaname's shoulder. They locked eyes for a second. He silently shook his head.

Kaname settled down but looked away from the scene. Naoto sent him an understanding look before turning back to observe.

The brutality disguised as an interrogation continued on for nearly another twenty minutes before the Britannians finally packed up and left. The onlooking denizens of the ghetto were at last allowed to approach the woman and help her receive a tiny fraction of the medical attention she desperately needed.

Naoto signalled for the doctor of his group to go help and the rest to disperse and return to their hideout before departing with Kaname. The pair took the long way back to check on another group that had yet to head home. They turned out to be fine, if shaken; a family of four with the two kids not even teenagers had been their victims to watch over.

Back at their base, Naoto overheard some very worrying chatter.

"We can't keep standing by and not helping. If they want a fight, we should give it to them." That was Yoshida, a usually level-headed man whose even temperament made him particularly reliable in the field.

"If this gets any worse, the whole ghetto is going to rise up and be destroyed. We need to find a way to put a stop to this immediately." Inoue was an engineer in charge of logistics and rarely fought. She saw the seriousness of the situation, but her tone suggested a _very bad_ solution.

"Naoto."

"Not here," Naoto said. He brought Kaname into the only room in the building with a working lock on the door. It functioned as both his office and a prison when necessary.

"We need to do more," Kaname immediately said.

Naoto collapsed onto his ragged but still soft chair. "We don't have the ability to launch an offensive _and win_."

"I know," Kaname said. "But staying hidden isn't working. We're just deflecting the damage onto civilians."

"Even if we gave ourselves up," Naoto said, "it wouldn't help. Between policing the ghetto, sabotaging the usual military 'fun', and disposing of troublesome Brits, we still do more good than harm."

"I'm not suggesting that." Kaname hesitated before he said, "We do know someone with connections."

"Absolutely not," Naoto immediately replied.

"But–"

"No," Naoto interrupted. "It's not as easy as having Kallen ask Lelouch to ask Prince Clovis to forbid the military from entering Shinjuku. People would ask why. Reasons would have to be given. Favours would be owed. Someone would have to _actually enforce_ the decree. The homeland might get involved. Kami forbid the emperor take an interest. Kallen and Lelouch are friendly with several of the Knights of the Round who might mention the matter to him. She would have to get _so involved_. No, Kaname. Just no."

"She wouldn't have to go that far…"

Naoto shook his head. Someday he should probably instruct everyone on some of the finer points of Britannian politics. It'd proved useful before, and it would prove useful again. If something happened to him, his people would need to know. Besides, when it really came down to it, he simply refused to put Kallen into a compromising position.

"When I said people would ask why, that included Kallen. She'd investigate, too, and she _would_ find her way here."

"She still doesn't know?" Kaname asked, surprised.

"Of course not. Beyond her own reaction" – _which would probably be very poor_ – "how do you think the ghetto will take to a beautiful, wealthy, fifteen-year-old royal knight and countess wandering around?"

"We could explain," Kaname offered, but even he looked unconvinced.

"Please," Naoto scoffed. "Even if she'd stayed in Japan with me and Mum, I'd rather she grow up in a Britannian orphanage than set foot in here."

The look Kaname sent in return was one of reluctant agreement. "We still need to figure out–"

The background noise of their base rose to a loud chorus of worried and outraged voices. From the sound of it, someone was at death's door. Naoto and Kaname looked to each other.

"Our options may have just grown severely limited," Naoto commented, rising from his seat. He needed to find out what had happened immediately.

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace  
Government Borough, Area 11  
November 16, 2015 a.t.b.**

Marrybell tossed the latest report on the purists actions onto her desk in disgust. She spun her chair to let her look through a window out into the settlement. To say nothing else of their tactics, they'd just outright tortured and murdered a civilian and _maybe_ killed a terrorist.

 _The purists are worse than the bloody terrorists._ Marrybell cursed her younger self for her foolishness. Were her reclaimed royalty not so tenuously held, she would simply execute the purists and be done with it. Regardless of her personal feelings, so openly and repeatedly provoking the Japanese threatened to destabilise the area.

On the nominally good side, however, if Lelouch's assumption that the purists would eventually attempt to 'inconvenience him' was correct, she would take great pleasure in gambling her fate using their lives as chips. It seemed fitting that they be treated so casually by a French prince and an 'Eleven lover'.

Speaking of, Marrybell picked up her phone and called Suzaku. The line connected.

"Marrybell?"

"Suzaku, I need you to stay in town."

"Ah… That might be hard. I'm supposed to be returning home."

"Throw your guardians the promise of possible research secrets," Marrybell said. Then because she knew Suzaku was an _awful_ liar, she added, "And I _will_ get some to you."

Rather hesitantly, Suzaku asked, "Nothing too dangerous, I hope?"

"Best you not know in advance. Tell them I mentioned a new knightmare project being started."

"Well, you _did_ just mention one…"

Marrybell chuckled. "I'll leave it up to your imagination whether it really exists or not, then."

"Very well. So do you need me for that bet with your brother you were telling me about last week?"

"Possibly. We haven't decided yet on how we'll proceed with it, but if it comes down to a knightmare duel, I'll need you available if I'm to have any chance against him with the countess around."

"I met her, actually," Suzaku said.

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow, not that it did any good. "Oh? What was she like?"

"I'm not sure. She mostly asked about you. She's definitely not helpless outside a knightmare, though. I thought I was rushing to save a regular girl from a few thugs at first. I didn't realise until after I knocked out the remaining two that she'd already dealt with the first."

That was unsurprising, and Marrybell said as such.

"There was something else she mentioned. Something about preferring easy wins in real life."

 _That could mean many things. She could just be pragmatic, or she might actually care about the lives of the people she fights with. She could just be afraid for her own life, too. It could be a hundred other things as well._

Suzaku spoke and drew Marrybell's attention back to him. "I still don't like the idea of you going through with this bet."

"You don't need to worry. It's obvious Lelouch wants me to accept him as my better. A cheap trick won't satisfy him. Or me. Our competition will have to result in a true, resounding defeat for him and I to ever be anything more than tentative allies of convenience."

"But he hasn't even explicitly told you his plans!"

"Do you have so little faith in my ability to win?" Marrybell asked in a cute, pouting way she knew would make Suzaku cringe. "When I do, it won't matter."

Marrybell heard some inaudible grumbling from the other end of the line.

"Relax, Suzaku. I've been researching Lelouch since my chess game with him." Marrybell glanced at her computer, tabbing through her Internet browser until she came to her rather extensive notes on her brother. She'd particularly been focused on his unusual relationship with their father – unusual in the sense that the emperor seemed to acknowledge on occasion that he existed. "I'm not entirely sure what his ultimate plan is for the areas, but he seems like a good person at heart."

Marrybell switched to the next tab, detailing some of the newer and more unusual charitable work Stadtfeld Industries engaged in, not to mention its hiring policies outside the homeland. It took guts to hire more qualified numbers over Britannians for positions requiring a degree, even if they worked for less. Euphemia and Nunnally were rather outspoken on behalf of humanitarian efforts on the rare occasions they were found in public, too.

"Or if not him, then at least one of his morality chains are. Regardless, I doubt he would be an intolerable ruler for a time in the worst case." Marrybell added, _And he'd be much less difficult to place on the throne than me,_ in the privacy of her own mind, once more cursing her younger self for being so foolhardy. High treason _was not_ easy to come back from.

Suzaku sighed. "Alright. I trust _you_."

And Marrybell would do everything in her power to ensure that trust was not misplaced. "Good. I'll call you back when I've set up a simulator for you to use to practice. I can't emphasise enough that the countess _turned down an invitation to the Rounds._ If you end up fighting her, _do not hold back_ or she will _rip you to shreds_."

Suzaku hesitantly said, "I thought that was just a rumour."

"It's not confirmed, but even if it's not true, the rank and file must repeat it for a reason."

"Fair enough. Can I stay at your place again, or is this one of those cloak and dagger things?"

Marrybell considered that for a moment. "Best stay at my place," she said. "You'd raise too many questions if discovered elsewhere. As far as Lelouch knows, you're just a friend."

"Alright. I'll see you tonight, then."

Marrybell bade Suzaku goodbye and ended the call. She then turned her attention back to the reports she'd been reading and frowned.

 _I hope this wager comes to an end soon. I can't keep Suzaku away too long without harming his cover. Not that it'd be the worst eventuality if he simply came to live with me._

A thought occurred.

 _If I do lose the bet, I should just go ahead and knight him. Suzaku gets a proper home and job. I get my friend back full-time and a knight. Britannia unwillingly gains a precedent for numbers rising to high position. The Japanese might calm down seeing one of their own succeeding in the face of intense adversity. Lelouch gets two powerful allies instead of one, which gives Suzaku and me more weight in policy decisions._

There were worse outcomes than losing, Marrybell decided. Not that she would, of course.

* * *

 **Government Borough, Area 11  
November 18, 2015 a.t.b.**

Enough was entirely enough. Kallen had tried being patient. She had tried being respectful. She had tried being understanding. But now she had been ignored for too long, and she had all day free. It was time to take matters into her own hands.

* * *

Emily hated her job. It was boring, to be sure, but the pointlessness of it was what got to her. Not only did no one care where the Elevens lived – not even herself – but the vast majority of Elevens never notified her office when they changed residencies. Indeed, most of her records were pulled from the old Japanese government, some of which listed places that no longer existed.

And so Emily spent each day idly maintaining her database with the occasional honourary Britannian updating their address and the rare Eleven doing the same. It was dull, dreary, drab work, but it paid well enough and let her play games and chat on her computer most of the work day, so life was not so bad.

And then something finally happened.

The door to Emily's office flew open, and in came a redhead who dressed and walked like a noble heiress but for the sword dangling at her hip. As the woman came to a stop before her desk, Emily finally recognised her. It was Countess Stadtfeld! The newest royal knight!

Nervous – and wasn't that embarrassing when speaking to a someone barely half her age – Emily asked, "Can I help you?"

"I need any addresses you have for Naoto Kōzuki. If it helps, he lived in Shinjuku before the war."

"Of course!" Emily turned to her computer and hesitated a moment. "I, uh, I can look, but the Elevens often move without filing the appropriate paperwork, and we lose track of them."

"I'm aware. Just check, please."

Emily nodded and set to work. She managed to find an address at the former Tokyo University and one in Shinjuku. Nothing newer was on file.

Lady Stadtfeld clicked her tongue at the search results. "Try Kaname Ohgi."

Emily did as asked and received the same two residencies as well as an older one which the man presumably shared with his parents.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful," Emily said.

"It's fine," Lady Stadtfeld said as Emily handed her a copy of the Shinjuku address. "I'll start looking here. Thank you for your time."

And then Lady Stadtfeld departed. The office was as dull and empty as ever once more, but Emily bubbled with excitement nonetheless.

 _I just met the Countess of New York, a royal knight! Amy is never going to believe this! I have to tell everyone!_

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 18, 2015 a.t.b.**

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Emma asked. "You have such lovely red hair. It would be a shame to hide it from the world."

"Thank you," Emma's current customer said, "but please dye it black. I only need it to last for today, though, if you have something that washes out easily."

Emma smiled. "I can do that, but you'll have to excuse me a moment while I run to our storeroom. Few people come here to ask for so temporary a change."

* * *

Charlie eyed the obviously rich, sword-bearing Britannian woman who'd walked in through the doors to his charity shop. It was common enough for the upper class to buy something cheap to wear on the rare occasions they expected to get dirty, but that usually meant mass-produced clothes, not used clothes.

Odder still was that she immediately headed toward the section of the shop that held the older, rattier clothing that Elevens tended to buy. Curious, Charlie took a picture of the woman and posted it online to see if any of his friends knew who she was. He rather doubted she would give him an honest answer – plausible deniability and all that. The papers would probably run some ridiculous story about her family running out of money or some other such prattle.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 18, 2015 a.t.b.**

Kallen observed herself in her mirror back in her guest bedroom at the student council building. Even without the worn hood concealing her features and baggy clothes hiding her curves, she hardly recognised herself. Regrettably, she'd discarded her sword, but she kept her parrying dagger on hand and added a pistol concealed beneath her hoodie. Lastly, she tucked her phone away into her pocket.

 _What else do I need… Oh, my eyes. That's a dead giveaway._ She set about searching her room for sunglasses. She knew she had a pair somewhere. _Nothing I can do about my facial structure, but that should be fine. Might need some hard cash, but not enough to be worth robbing._

"Ah! There you are." Kallen placed her fortunately old and slightly damaged sunglasses atop her nose.

"And the Karen-chan illusion is complete," Kallen said. _This_ should _keep anyone from noticing I'm Britannian._

Satisfied with her appearance, Kallen left her bedroom to track down Lelouch.

* * *

Lelouch had known he would regret acquiescing to Milly's demand to help her student council balance their budget. He'd known that Ashford was a school for rich kids. One only had to look at the massive, elegant campus to realise that. He'd expected big numbers and frivolous expenses.

But the level of control Milly personally had over the school outside regular classes still baffled Lelouch. The only things that _didn't_ have her fingerprints all over them were the faculty choices and lesson plans.

 _What does Ruben do with his time if not run the school?_

Without warning, Milly groaned in frustration and let her head drop to bang onto the table.

"And Prez is the first to fall," Rivalz commented.

"If you wouldn't keep changing and adding things, we wouldn't constantly have to revisit this, you know," Shirley scolded.

"Boring," Milly mumbled into the table.

Across the way, Lelouch heard Euphemia whisper something to Nina, who then fidgeted awkwardly before quietly saying, "True."

"Enough of this!" Milly suddenly declared as she leapt to her feet. "Worse come to worst, we'll charge our students a hundred quid each to kiss Lelouch or Kallen."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "For the record, Kallen and I are not students here or members of this council and are guests."

"Fine," Milly said. She pouted for a moment before an evil smirk overtook her. "We have our own heavy hitters, anyway. There's Euphie here, and Shirley, and we can draft Nuuna for the younger crowd."

"Absolutely not," Lelouch said flatly. He would have said more, but they had an audience who were unaware that the Linettes were his sisters.

Shirley nodded her agreement.

The door to the meeting room burst open. "Ohayou, minna!"

That would be Kallen, then. Lelouch returned to his work, glad for the distraction to keep Milly busy. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed she'd gone to some effort to disguise herself. He took it to mean she planned to venture into the ghetto today.

"Excuse me, Miss," Milly said, and Lelouch suppressed a shiver. That was her 'innocent' mischief voice. "Ashford Academy is not open to the public. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. Unless you wish to help me with a little project of–"

Kallen rather bluntly said, "I'll pass," in English.

"Oh, it's Kallen," Rivalz said.

"I take it my disguise passes muster?"

"I barely recognised you," Shirley admitted.

Milly added, "But it won't fool old friends as soon as you open your mouth."

Lelouch pushed aside one piece of paper in favour of another. "Heading to the ghetto?" he asked.

"Yeah."

The cries of protest from those council members not acquainted with her brother went ignored.

"I'm sure I'm a little behind the vernacular, but I should be fine."

"I'd not dare to imagine otherwise," Lelouch said. He used their signal for 'being followed', which counted as a question in context.

Kallen nodded back. Rather unsurprising, that. It was easier to count the times when they _didn't_ have someone shadowing them lately. Of course, it served their purposes well enough to let themselves be followed. They were doing nothing worth hiding, and it let them choose where the inevitable confrontation would take place.

"Keep your phone on and send me and Jeremiah the address on your way." Neither Kallen nor Lelouch needed to explicitly say what address he meant.

"Hai, Lulu-kun. Ittekimasu!"

Lelouch snorted, amused. Cute really didn't work for Kallen. "Itterasshai, Karen-chan."

"Will she be alright?" Rivalz asked.

"She'll be fine," Euphie assured him.

Milly promptly added, "Nothing can stop our Kallen. Even I had difficulty catching her when we were children."

 _Such high standards._

* * *

With Lelouch informed of what she would be doing, Kallen took her leave. This time she _did not_ want to be followed, so she opted to take Ashford Academy's underground tunnels off campus. From there she took the train to the edge of the settlement and found her way down into the Shinjuku ghetto. Finding Naoto's old flat from there proved easy enough. Naoto, on the other hand, remained elusive.

"Where is he?" Kallen grumbled. The door was unlocked – assuming the lock still worked – so she'd assumed Naoto was home. The flat certainly looked lived-in when she explored, and she found a picture of her family inside, so it surely had to be _him_ who lived there.

Giving up waiting as a bad job, Kallen decided to take a more aggressive approach to finding her brother. She would ask around the ghetto. Outside, she approached a relatively smartly dressed man.

"Excuse me," Kallen said. "Do you know Kōzuki Naoto?"

Recognition showed in the man's eyes, and Kallen frowned. She was either _incredibly_ lucky or Naoto held a position of significance in the ghetto. Most such positions were the kind that put one's face on wanted posters.

"I do," the man said. "He hasn't been home in a few days. May I know who's asking?"

"The very angry sister he's been ignoring."

"Kōzuki-sama has a sister?" the man asked, shocked.

Kallen noted the honorific used, confirming that Naoto had indeed somehow managed to become important to the ghetto. "I'm Kōzuki Karen." She offered a shallow bow in respect. She pointed back to the building she'd just left. "I'm actually in a few of his photos upstairs, if you need proof."

"No, that's okay," the man replied. "I assume you're looking for him?"

Nodding, Kallen said, "I would be grateful if you could give me directions."

And the man did so.

* * *

 **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11  
November 18, 2015 a.t.b.**

Any other day, Tamaki Shinichirō would have barely noticed the approaching girl, but everyone was on high alert. A major Britannian offensive was expected any day now. The surrounding buildings were evacuated, and even were they not, the girl was not someone he recognised. She could be a spy or a trap as easily as a civilian or a new recruit.

"Hey!" Shinichirō called out. He pointed his gun at the girl, ready to fire if needed. "Stay where you are, or I'll shoot."

The girl stayed put, but she somehow gave off an aura of indifference. Shinichirō had the distinct impression that she was gazing at him sceptically behind her sunglasses.

"Who are you?"

"Kōzuki Karen," the girl said, much to Shinichirō's surprise. "I need to…speak…with Nii-san."

"Huh? Kōzuki-sama never mentioned having a little sister."

"Unsurprising," the purported second Kōzuki replied. "He's never mentioned being a rebel to me."

Shinichirō frowned. If there really were a hereto unknown sister, he would be in serious trouble if he did anything to her. On the other hand, she could also be an assassin. Although on second thought, the Brits hardly needed to stoop to assassination against a group as small as their resistance.

Decided, Shinichirō said, "Hands where I can see them. I'll take you to Kōzuki-sama, but if you make one wrong move…" He thought it was a good threat, but he got no more response from the girl than raised eyebrows. Annoyed, he gestured inside with his gun. "Come on. Move it!"

The girl complied, advancing slowly. Shinichirō stepped aside so she could go in first with him following behind. As she walked past him, she flowed into action. One of her hands flew to his gun, and he heard a faint click. Her other moved to disarm him. He pulled the trigger before she managed the feat, but nothing happened. He tried to raise the alarm, but she landed a heavy blow to his gut with the butt of his own gun and knocked the wind out of him.

Instead of the messy end Shinichirō expected, the girl began to casually disassemble his gun into pieces. She looked down on him with what he could feel was a cold stare.

"Your incompetence will get my brother killed. You should have called for backup. You should have had me searched. You should never have even thought to leave your post without a replacement. And most of all, you shouldn't have let me within arm's reach." The girl paused a moment. "That is assuming you can aim at a human-sized target one metre away. Learn how to do your job or request a different one."

"Who the hell do you think you are!" Shinichirō said.

"If I hadn't already given you my name, I certainly wouldn't now." The girl turned to head inside. "I sincerely hope you know how to put that back together."

Shinichirō looked at his gun abandoned in pieces on the ground. Having no other outlet, he pounded the ground with his fist and cried his humiliation to the heavens.

* * *

 _No, if the Brits come at us this way, we still have the smaller entrance to the tunnels. We can all fit through it quickly enough, and if we close it up, no one will even realise it's there. That won't be a problem._

Naoto laid aside his map of the ghetto after double checking his plans for perhaps the dozenth time. There was no way they could win the upcoming fight, but their opponents needed to believe they had lost. They would put on a good show and then disappear into the abandoned metro tunnels. With any luck, the Brits would leave Shinjuku in peace for a time afterwards.

And then the sudden voice of an angry goddess broke the relative silence.

"Naoto! Come here this instant!"

 _Kallen!_ Naoto paled even as he rushed to the stairs.

* * *

Despite the shocked and wary looks around her, Kallen waited in place with her arms folded whilst tapping her index finger impatiently. The reward for her patience came in the form of an absolutely terrified older brother she'd not seen in person for far too long.

"Kallen! What are you doing here? No, this isn't the time. You need to leave immediately!"

"Oh, no," Kallen deadpanned. "You and I are going to have a _long_ talk."

Naoto visibly flinched but carried on. "Fine. But it can't be _now_. You really need to leave."

For the moment, Kallen leashed her anger. "Explain."

"We expect to be under attack soon. Maybe even today."

"And who is attacking?" Kallen pressed.

Naoto let out an exasperated sigh as he tried and failed to usher Kallen outside. "We're confident it's the purists in the Britannian military behind the plan."

"Perfect." Kallen pulled out her phone. She glared at Naoto when he moved to interfere. One ring was all it took before the call connected.

"Your situation?" were the first words Lelouch uttered.

Kallen briefly glanced at the onlooking crowd. Choosing her words carefully – she was sure most of her audience spoke English to some degree, but perhaps not French – she said, "You're about to make up to me what you know you need to and win your bet all at once. The purists are preparing to attack Naoto's group, although I don't know when other than 'soon'."

Lelouch hummed in interest. "And nothing can go wrong, I imagine."

A snort escaped Kallen. "From what admittedly little I've seen, it all looks very hopeless for the rebels."

"Do you have a knightmare available?"

"One sec." Kallen turned to Naoto. "Do you have a knightmare?" Before he could say anything, she added, "Yes or no, and don't you dare lie."

"A Glasgow," Naoto hesitantly admitted, and Kallen passed the word on.

"Excellent. Commandeer it. You'll need to keep the purists busy while I prepare once the fighting starts."

"Gladly." Kallen had always imagined her first real battle would be against people who had the moral high ground over Britannia, but this would be much easier and far more satisfying. "Anything else?"

"Make sure Naoto understands I'll be taking command with him translating and giving the orders."

That went without saying, really. An English-speaking commander would not be well-received here, and French would be even less useful.

"And do try not to win on your own," Lelouch added. "Marrybell would never acknowledge that as my victory."

Kallen smiled, but Lelouch remained unaware of that fact as she said, "Your flattery does not quell my displeasure."

"Understood, Milady. Don't die."

"Never." Kallen ended the call and turned her attention back to Naoto. "Congratulations, Naoto-nii. I'll be fighting on your behalf this one time."

"No way."

"Your only choice," Kallen said, "is whether you work with me or against me. One way or another, I won't be left out. I have stakes in this…quaint little skirmish of yours beyond your continued existence. Unless you expect to win alone, I highly recommend you accept my assistance."

"It's not about winning, Kallen. It's about keeping my people safe."

Kallen bit back the sarcastic remark she wanted to make. Now was not the time to argue politics, especially not in anger. Instead, she said, " _Your_ people are here to fight. Unless I'm mistaken, you've evacuated everyone else within a large radius."

Another rebel chose that moment to burst into the building. "Kōzuki-sama! Shinjuku is being encircled!"

With a Herculean effort, Kallen stopped herself from smirking. No doubt Naoto had an escape route he could try to send her through, but his options grew more limited as time passed and more pressing matters needed attention. His face ran through a gamut of emotions as he struggled to come to a decision.

"Argh! Fine! You can stay. But you have to do _everything_ I tell you."

"No," Kallen flatly said. "My job is to cause enough chaos to keep the purists busy until Lelouch arrives to take command through you. He and I have much more experience and talent at this than you. Now where is your Glasgow?"

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 18, 2015 a.t.b.**

"Never," Kallen said just before ending their call.

 _This is too perfect,_ Lelouch thought to himself with triumphant glee. He started another call. Once it connected, he said, "Jeremiah, meet me at the main gate with the car."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lelouch hung up the call and then turned to address the obviously worried crowd gathered around him. "Sorry, Milly," he said, "but I must take my leave. Kallen has been invited to a party, and I'm her default plus-one."

Euphemia and Milly both glared at Lelouch for the blatant lie. They both understood French and had heard his half of his conversation with Kallen. He fended off further enquiries from the other student council members expressing their concern over the party possibly being held in the ghetto and departed for his bedroom immediately after.

Rifling through piles of paper detailing the inner workings of Area Eleven's military, Lelouch eventually found what he wanted: the supply routes that ran through the Shinjuku area. If he wanted to win a full scale battle, he would need his forces well equipped, and who better to provide the weapons than his opponents themselves?

Grinning in anticipation, Lelouch departed the student council building to make his way off campus. When he reached the main gate, he found Jeremiah waiting for him, but he was not alone. Piled and bound at the kerb were four unconscious men in uniform, one of whom was clearly an officer. Also present were several of the guards discreetly protecting Ashford Academy.

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow at Jeremiah in question.

"These men came to 'take you into custody until the truth is uncovered' and had to be persuaded otherwise," Jeremiah answered. "They claimed their sources found Lady Stadtfeld in contact with terrorists at their base of operations."

"Ah." This was an unexpected move against him, if one ultimately doomed to failure. Lelouch was more than a little surprised they'd managed to ID or follow Kallen, but it hardly mattered. A cover story, in the very unlikely event one proved necessary, could be easily invented. "Well," he admitted, "they are technically right."

"Your Highness?"

"Later, Jeremiah." Lelouch turned to address the guards. "Ensure these men do not enter campus, but they are otherwise unimportant. Please keep up the good work."

"Yes, Your Highness," the guards chorused.

That done, Lelouch boarded the car with Jeremiah and they departed. A quick text to Naoto gave them directions to a safe entrance into the surrounded Shinjuku ghetto. Only one thing remained to be done. Lelouch picked up his phone.

"Marrybell?"

"Oh, Lelouch. What is it?"

"Have you heard of the latest military operation in Shinjuku?"

"Do you mean the purists' disgusting investigation or their mobilisation?"

"The latter," Lelouch said, which he assumed meant yes. "I'm unsure whether it's by design or good fortune, but Kallen has been caught in their net."

"Oh!" Marrybell said, genuine concern in her voice. "I can take care of that for you."

Interrupting before Marrybell could suggest anything further, Lelouch said, "You misunderstand. Kallen can escape on her own should she wish, but that would be a waste of such a wonderful opportunity. I challenge you to our promised duel."

"What!"

"We will both attempt to seize control of our side using whatever means available to us: me, the terrorists, and you, the purists. Then to the victor go the spoils."

"You cannot be serious!" Marrybell said, clearly shocked. "You would attempt to lead _terrorists_ to victory?"

"Why not?" Lelouch asked. "The purists are a problem for both of us, if for different reasons, that needs to be, at minimum, diminished. This seems convenient."

No response came. Lelouch could almost sense the racing thoughts on the other end of the phone. And then finally, the decision was made.

"I accept your challenge. To the victor go the spoils."

Lelouch let out an exultant grin. _Perfect. All the conditions are met for my victory._

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace  
Government Borough, Area 11  
November 18, 2015 a.t.b.**

Marrybell could hardly believe what she'd just heard Lelouch suggest. Of all the battles he might possibly arrange between them, the last one she'd expected was _an actual battle_. And he planned to side with terrorists no less! It was madness! Absolute madness!

"You cannot be serious!" Marrybell said. "You would attempt to lead _terrorists_ to victory?" If they won, what would happen afterwards? Would they march on the settlement? What resources would they have leftover? Did he know something about the Shinjuku terrorists that she did not?

"Why not?" Lelouch asked so offhandedly casually that Marrybell feared he genuinely didn't see the fundamental problem with his plan. Or maybe he did and had some solution to implement in the aftermath. Regardless, he continued, "The purists are a problem for both of us, if for different reasons, that needs to be, at minimum, diminished. This seems convenient."

And there was that same ruthless pragmatism which Marrybell so tried to hide in herself. Suzaku hated it. He loathed it entirely. But more importantly, it reminded her that she was undeniably her father's daughter.

And yet it _was_ a convenient solution to the purist problem. Marrybell could pit them against Lelouch and watch them die fighting terrorists with a smile on her face while knowing that it would be one step closer to a stable, peaceful Japan. Everyone won, barring one of her and Lelouch. Or at least everyone thought they did.

But the truly important question was why Lelouch believed he would win. What hidden advantage did he possess? He obviously had some means of arming the terrorists if they weren't already. Lady Stadtfeld, while powerful, was a known quantity. She alone would not be enough to turn the tide, and moreover, Marrybell had Suzaku available to pit against her, not that Lelouch knew that.

But then perhaps Lady Stadtfeld was the secret after all. Lelouch said she'd been caught in the purists' encirclement, which meant she'd been _in Shinjuku_ before then.

 _Is that it, then? Does Lelouch have some preexisting connection with one of the terrorists? If so, he might have an easier time taking and_ maintaining _control of them than I would with the purists. Begging a favour of Clovis will only get me so much obedience._

 _So that's the question, then. Do I believe the advantages of commanding a professional military and the surprise Suzaku offers outweigh the potential difficulties of obtaining and retaining that command?_

Marrybell ruminated on that single question carefully. In truth, she believed she held the advantage, but her investigations into Lelouch revealed that he had actual experience commanding men, if not in real battle. She might be underestimating the task set before her.

Even so, Marrybell made the decision she knew she wanted.

"I accept your challenge. To the victor go the spoils."

Now she just needed to obtain command of the operation. With any luck, letting Lelouch play with the purists for a while would give her the opening she needed to insert herself into the chain of command on her own. If she truly wanted to put Lelouch in his place, it was what she _had_ to do. But if that proved untenable, she needed to speak with Clovis in advance and ask him to officially grant her control.

* * *

 **A/N:** Kallen has had a lot of screen time to show off both in Round Zero and in the Marrybell Arc. Next chapter, it's Lelouch's turn. And no, the Lancelot does not exist yet in any form more tangible than Lloyd's most fevered dreams.

Also, as a general rule, if you see honorifics in dialogue, characters are speaking in Japanese. That said, they sometimes do so without them, of course, so this is a sufficient but not necessary condition. I also plan to stick to the more commonly known and less nuanced ones for both readability and my own sanity.


	9. R1 S09 - The Battle of Shinjuku

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 09 - The Battle of Shinjuku

 **Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11  
November 18, 2015 a.t.b.**

Inoue Naomi gazed at 'Kōzuki Karen' as she guided the girl to the resistance's Glasgow. The two Kōzuki had certainly interacted like family, but Naomi could tell that something was not as it appeared. The pair had very little in common as far as physical appearances went, too, although the younger Kōzuki had herself so bundled up to fend off the cold that it was hard to tell.

"Well, here we are," Naomi said, gesturing to the dull-red knightmare just across the makeshift hangar. "She's a little on in years, but she gets the job done."

And naturally, Karen said, "What a piece of junk," as everyone did when first seeing the Glasgow. "Will this withstand the stress an Ace would put on it?"

Naomi blinked before giving Karen a more scrutinising inspection. "Are you saying you are one?"

"I wouldn't have forced Naoto-nii to give it to me if I weren't." Karen paused a moment. "Well, I probably would have. Still."

No words came to Naomi. Kōzuki's little sister was _an Ace_ and they had never fielded her, let alone recruited her, _why_?

"Who normally pilots her?" Karen asked as she went to inspect the knightmare piece by piece.

"Kento," Naomi's mouth answered for her while her brain kept trying to divine who exactly Karen was and where she'd come from. "Sugiyama Kento."

Karen hummed. "Never heard of him. Who performs maintenance?"

"I do."

"Oh?"

Naomi unexpectedly found herself hoping for approval, and the words were not long in coming.

"Based on what I assume you have available to work with," Karen said, "you've done an impressive job. I almost want to steal you away to be my personal mechanic."

"I'm not that good," Naomi found herself saying before realising she had no context whatsoever for the compliment. That said, Karen _did_ appear to be _very_ familiar with knightmares. And if she truly were an Ace…

"Now then–" Karen hopped down to the floor from climbing on the knightmare. She held out her hand. "–do you have the key and code? I don't know how to bypass the security on a knightmare."

From her pocket, Naomi withdrew the former and handed it over. "There's no code."

"Thanks."

"It was nothing," Naomi said. As she watched Karen board the Glasgow, she worked up the nerve to ask, "Who are you really?"

Just outside the cockpit, Karen paused to look back at Naomi. "Since Naoto-nii appears to want to keep his work and family lives _very_ separate, I believe that's a question to ask him. Later, though. We have a battle to win."

And with that, Karen entered the knightmare and burst out of the hangar into Shinjuku proper. Naomi watched her fly between buildings at a speed that really should have resulted in a wrecked Glasgow.

Then Karen's words finally registered.

 _Win?_

* * *

Lord James Machlin frowned within his command centre. On his map of the ghetto, his well-trained forces were properly arranged to catch any little rats that attempted to cause problems. The small elongated triangles, each representing a knightmare, surrounded Shinjuku with advance forces slowly tightening the encirclement. Smaller dots representing infantry checked the annoyingly empty buildings for any Elevens to deal with, and rectangles representing tanks sat at a safe distance to provide artillery support in the unlikely event they proved necessary.

And yet one little enemy triangle continually evaded capture and made a mockery of his soldiers as they futilely chased after it. Worse still, it had actually managed to defy the odds to destroy four of his Sutherlands so far – four!

"Who is that devicer?"

"It's a Glasgow! Why can no one destroy the damned thing?"

James interrupted the pointless chatter. "Countess Stadtfeld is obviously the pilot." That quieted the room in an instant. It'd been obvious to him. The only other enemies on the field were the Eleven monkeys, whereas Kallen Stadtfeld, regardless of the inscrutable life choices she'd made, was both well known as an Ace and came from good stock.

"It seems," James continued, "she somehow convinced the terrorists to let her pilot their knightmare. That she hasn't abandoned them proves the connection between her and the terrorists. Fortune smiles upon us today. All men are to continue to shoot to kill."

"Sir, is that wise?"

"Capturing her would only let her try to invent an excuse for her actions," James said. "Her loss will be regrettable, but she is clearly beyond the pale, and her demise will allow us to move against her prince. We do what we must for a better, stronger, more secure Britannia."

A chorus of, "Yes, My Lord," came back in answer.

"Sir, another unit lost."

James clicked his tongue. If only the Stadtfeld girl had been more approachable, he might have been able to turn her. Her loss truly would be a tragedy. Regardless, what must be done must be done. They would likely never get another opportunity such as this. He turned to his chief logistic officer. "How much longer before our remaining supplies arrive?"

* * *

Kallen used her slash harkens to yank her knightmare perpendicular to her momentum, pulling her into an alley. So hidden, three tailing Sutherlands passed her by unaware. Finally, she had a chance to steady herself.

 _That last knightmare, I_ definitely _killed its pilot. There was no getting away from that._

 _Deep breaths, Kallen. Deep breaths._

In and out, Kallen felt herself calm down. She could do this. She knew she could.

And she would. Kallen used her land spinners to glide up between two buildings, landing gracefully atop the shorter one. From there, she had a better view of the ghetto and the forces hunting her down. From the look of it, she'd so far managed to keep herself from being surrounded and trapped.

Of course, Kallen had also made herself an obvious target. She took three seconds to plot her next assault and then sped away. Fortunately, just _after_ moving, she heard the sound of bullets impacting the taller building beside her. This Glasgow had to last her a long time; tanking hits was not an acceptable option, especially when failure almost certainly meant death.

Without pausing even an instant, Kallen fired a burst of bullets at a knightmare as she drove past. She managed to do enough damage to the arm to force the pilot to eject it but no more.

Two more knightmares appeared. One came at Kallen directly from ahead, and one approached from the left. Rather than dodge right, as was no doubt expected, she used her slash harkens to pull herself to the left. She jumped off of the closest Sutherland, forcing it prone, and continued on across the roof of a short building nearby.

"Q1, come in."

Kallen immediately grasped the radio Naoto had given her. "About bloody time, K1! I thought you were going to make me try to solo this entire encounter. I'm not _that_ good."

"You seem to be doing fine so far even with minimal support from R1's resistance."

Kallen quietly noted that Naoto's codename was R1 for the battle. "Do we really have time for this?"

"Actually, yes," Lelouch said. "You have five minutes to reach the railway nearest to the Settlement. A supply train with gifts from the purists to us will meet you there. Questions?"

"No, I know where to go. I assume you don't want any lingering attention on the train after I stop it?" And that meant she needed to do more than simply derail it. A small team of knightmares could easily put it back on its tracks.

"Indeed. I'll leave you to it, then."

Her orders given, Kallen set out once more. She zigzagged through Shinjuku to avoid looking like she had a proper destination. Halfway to the railway, she slowed down enough to acquire a lasting tail. When she arrived early, she burnt through the extra time she had making herself look like a worse shot with her Glasgow's assault rifle than she actually was.

Finally, she heard the thunder of an approaching train. Getting her timing just right, she leapt atop the leading engine powering it. From the resulting screeching, she assumed she'd managed to crush enough vital parts to disable it. There was still the second engine to consider, however.

Kallen's latest opponent followed her to the other side of the train. Lining herself up with the Sutherland between her and it, she opened fire. She hit her true target, the second and last engine of the train, disabling all power.

Once that was done, Kallen left the train to coast to a stop much further down the line and closer to the resistance's base of operations. Lelouch and Naoto would handle the rest. But until they were ready, she needed to continue distracting the purists to buy more time.

* * *

Hidden within a building not too far away, Lelouch observed Naoto's resistance bustle about unloading the ruined supply train of what they could while also rigging the captured Sutherlands to function for them. So far only one stray enemy soldier had come to bother them, and he had been promptly dealt with.

Yes, they were still setting up the board, but the game proceeded smoothly. Lelouch should have time to make a few preemptive moves before his opponent joined them and finally took her seat.

Lelouch picked up his radio, primitive thing that it was. "Q1, we're about ready to engage the purists. I need you to get me access to enemy communications."

A long sigh came back over the radio. "Subduing a knightmare for capture on my own isn't easy in these conditions."

"While I would prefer the entire knightmare intact," Lelouch said, "a functional cockpit and its devicer is all I require. If you can get someone to eject toward our allies, we can handle the rest."

"Now that I can do," Kallen replied. "Tell R1 to keep an eye out."

Lelouch changed the radio to Naoto's frequency. "R1, Q1 will be sending a cockpit and devicer our way soon. I need access to the IFF Display connected to Britannian communications."

"Ah. Clever, Le – er, K1."

"Not really," Lelouch said. He had nothing better to do until his army was ready than to give Naoto a brief warning. Hopefully, it would keep the man from getting himself killed in the future trying to replicate it. "In a proper battle, your opponent would be more cautious. It's standard procedure to discontinue outbound communications with ejected cockpits. The purists, however, won't take us seriously. In all likelihood, they will continue to broadcast friend-foe data to prioritise giving their downed devicers the best opportunity to reach safety."

"Hmm… Good to know. I'll contact you when we have the cockpit ready for you. Any special requests for what to do with the devicer once we have their security code and encryption key?"

"Do as you please," Lelouch said. The purists' credibility would be as destroyed as their ranks after today. If Naoto decided to spare the devicer, that was fine. If he executed the devicer, that was fine, too.

Once Lelouch had set his radio aside, Jeremiah took the opportunity to speak up. "Are you sure this is wise, Your Highness?"

"Fortune favours the bold, Jeremiah. But if you're worried about legal repercussions, don't be. If the emperor hears of this, he will laugh and congratulate me for using the empire's enemies to destroy my own." And that was no exaggeration. It was a tactic the emperor himself often put into practice, although usually in a less direct manner than Lelouch was taking.

"I'm more concerned with your safety in this battle than your cooperation with terrorists." Jeremiah glanced around at the crumbling structure around them. "This building alone is unsafe. Putting yourself in the middle of this with such low mobility is asking to be killed."

"I would be nowhere else than with the men and women I may lead to death."

Jeremiah let out a sigh of the long-suffering.

"K1, R1," came the voice of Kallen. "I just sent a cockpit your way."

 _Oh? Impressive. That was fast even for her._

"We've already dispatched a squad to retrieve it," said Naoto. "I'll contact you if we need another attempt, Q1."

Lelouch smirked as his strategy continued to proceed as planned. _The board is set, and I'll soon make the first move. I look forward to seeing how you respond, Marrybell._

* * *

"Another enemy contact! Sanders's squad was ambushed by five Sutherlands."

"Allerton was shot through a bloody building and forced to eject."

"Confirmed enemy count now totals thirty Sutherlands, the Glasgow, and twenty-three infantry."

James glared at the map displaying his troops' positions with an intense scowl. His forces still retained a vast numerical superiority, but the terrorists had the significant advantages of both fighting on their home ground and advance warning of his inevitable attack. The terrorists made him pay dearly for every inch of ground he took with a coordination and intelligence he'd never seen in the Elevens.

 _Is Lady Stadtfeld commanding? That would explain a lot, especially since she was the one to disable our supply train. That_ cannot _have been an accident. But where would she have found the time to even_ think _of strategy, let alone implement one? We've kept her busy running around since she first engaged our forces._

"Another ambush! Kelsey's unit is down to just him."

James grit his teeth. He needed to figure out how to turn this around, or the terrorists would slowly bleed them to death.

The sound of a disturbance came from just outside the doors to the command centre. _Now what?_ James thought to himself as he turned to meet the approaching problem.

"Wait," came the faint voice of one of James's men. "You can't go in there, Your Highness. We're in the middle of an operation."

 _Dammit! The prince must have escaped and come in force._

* * *

Marrybell outright ignored the guards trying to stop her from reaching the command centre. She kept Suzaku close at her side in case someone tried to harass or arrest him. She had no time for such delays.

Finally, Marrybell arrived. She paused a moment to look around. A heavy feeling of worry hung over the atmosphere. The soldiers were professional enough not to show it on their faces, but everyone moved about with a quiet, unmistakable trepidation.

 _Hmm… I may be a little early. Lelouch hasn't sent them into outright panic yet._

With her initial observations out of the way, Marrybell walked up to Lord Machlin, who stared at her in honest surprise. No doubt he'd expected Lelouch to appear, not her. "Report," she demanded without a single other word.

"Your Highness–" Lord Machlin started. A narrowing of Marrybell's eyes promptly put an end to him attempting to deflect her enquiry. "We are attempting to destroy a terrorist cell, but Lady Stadtfeld–"

"I'm well aware of your childish and one-sided quarrel with my brother. Until today, he's considered you beneath his notice." Marrybell glanced at the map and smirked as she noticed another pair of knightmares suddenly read as 'lost'. "Congratulations. It appears you've gotten his attention by involving Lady Stadtfeld."

"You mean the prince is here directing the battle?" Lord Machlin asked. From their expressions, his supporting officers shared his shock and sense of sudden opportunity.

"He's probably not _here_ ," Marrybell said to stop anyone from getting the brilliant idea to assassinate her soon-to-be ally, "but he's certainly the one toying with your men. Now bring me up to speed."

After mulling it over for a second or two, Lord Machlin complied with the order. "Initially, Lady Stadtfeld was in a Glasgow alone with minor infantry support. She proved impossible to pin down." That last sentence came out with grudging respect. "However, she disabled one of our supply trains, and the terrorists captured the knightmares held within before we realised what happened. Since then, the terrorists have been ambushing our knightmares throughout the ghetto while we've slowly been tightening the encirclement."

Marrybell waited. Nothing more came. "That's it? You've only encountered guerrilla tactics?" she asked. No matter how well executed the ambushes were, she _knew_ Lelouch was capable of more.

Lord Machlin hesitantly nodded.

An amused snort escaped Marrybell. Lelouch was waiting for her. How sweet. "I retract my earlier words," she said. "You don't have my brother's attention, merely his annoyance. How many terrorist knightmares have you managed to destroy so far?"

When Lord Machlin proved reticent, another officer said, "Two, Your Highness."

Marrybell took a deep breath. _I'm not sure who I should be impressed with, Lelouch for the low casualty count or the purists for the 'high' count._

More importantly, if Lelouch's command of the terrorists had ever experienced any friction, it would have all vanished by now. The kind of success he'd delivered to them had a way of inspiring loyalty.

"Very well," Marrybell said as she silently reminded herself to _be nice_ – relatively speaking, of course. Lelouch and his knight were formidable enough foes on their own without having to fight her own troops at the same time. "None of you are prepared to face my brother and triumph. I'm taking command."

"Now see here–"

"Even if you're facing a prince of the realm, your performance is embarrassing Britannia and ruining any chance you _or your subordinates_ have of higher office," Marrybell interrupted, causing Lord Machlin to flush in anger. "You have one opportunity to save face, and that is through placing all responsibility for this disaster on me. You can hardly be blamed for the capricious whims of yet another royal who wanted to try their hand at military command."

Marrybell watched patiently as Lord Machlin fumed in silent defeat. He could hardly raise his hand against a princess, even one who had raised her own hand against the emperor, and he really did need a scapegoat. The other officers in the command room were also shifting uneasily, something else he had to take into account for the future if he wished to retain their loyalty.

"My Lord," another officer nervously began, "we've lost another squad to an ambush."

"Fine," Lord Machlin growled out. "On your head be it."

"Thank you for your cooperation." Marrybell worked hard to suppress the condescension in her voice. "Now have you encountered any civilians in the ghetto?"

Lord Machlin scoffed at, to him, that unimportant detail. "We have not."

"Good. In that case, pull everyone out of the ghetto."

"Your Highness! You can't be ordering a retreat!"

Marrybell restrained herself from rolling her eyes. _Honestly, what would the point of all this be if I just had us leave?_ "We have artillery at the ready that we're not using. We'll bombard the ghetto to soften up the terrorists and reduce their cover and ability to ambush us."

"But if we do that," another officer spoke up, "the terrorists will simply attempt to break through the encirclement and flee."

Any other time at any other place, Marrybell might have agreed, but not here and not against this particular opponent. "If they wanted to flee, they would have done so long ago. They've remained to fight, and we must force them to give us a proper one. If they attempt to break the encirclement, it will be en masse to reach our artillery. If that happens" – and she doubted Lelouch would stoop to something so pedestrian – " _crush them_."

A eager chorus of, "Yes, Your Highness!" came from the vast majority of the command centre.

"Now then, Suzaku, let's get you suited up. You know what you have to do."

Marrybell ignored the protestations of Lord Machlin as she watched Suzaku offer her a bow and his own, "Yes, Your Highness."

* * *

From within his stolen cockpit, Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. All functional enemy units began to slowly withdraw from the field. This was a radical departure from the purists' failing tactics so far, which could only mean one thing.

 _Welcome to the table, Marrybell._ "R1, order everyone not to pursue the enemy."

"Roger." A few seconds later, Naoto resumed radio contact. "Have we won?" he asked, although he sounded doubtful.

"No," Lelouch said. "Our opponents have a new, more competent commander" _who is likely not yet aware that I have her IFF data. Let's not make that obvious._ "I'm going to send you the coordinates of every ejected but still enabled cockpit in the ghetto. There are only a few, but they all need to be destroyed as soon as possible. The new enemy commander _will_ be taking us seriously, but she will _also_ assume that such will not be a new state of affairs. Be aware that I'll be disabling my IFF Display until they resume their attack."

"I'll inform the others and have them seek cover," Naoto said.

With the order given, Lelouch set about transmitting the necessary coordinates before turning off the cockpit he was sitting in. In its place, he picked up the controller for the many explosives littered throughout the ghetto both inside and _outside_ the Britannian encirclement. Japan's old underground tunnels truly were a blessing.

 _I don't want to reveal the extent of my preparations early, Marrybell, so you get to fire the first shot._

And from the distance came the roar of cannon fire.

Lelouch smirked.

* * *

"Third artillery round fired. Confirmed collapse of four buildings near the suspected terrorist base of operations."

"Prepare the fourth round," Marrybell commanded. "Continue focusing fire outward. Force them to come to us."

And then came the thunderous boom of explosions not of her own design. A flash of light momentarily blinded the entire command centre.

When Marrybell's ears stopped ringing, she immediately demanded, "What happened?" only to then look at her map. Nearly all of her artillery had been annihilated. Only a few had survived whatever devastation Lelouch had caused.

"The terrorists placed explosive charges in the tunnels beneath our tanks. The explosion and resulting collapse of the streets have disabled or destroyed most of them."

"Are _we_ atop a tunnel?" Marrybell asked, glaring at Lord Machlin in particular. Here she'd thought he had at least avoided the _obvious_ traps.

"No, Your Highness."

"Good. Then get me a map of the underground in Shinjuku _now_. I don't care how out of date. The terrorists will know it by heart, and Lady Stadtfeld _rules a city_ _renowned for the New York Underground_."

Half a minute later, Marrybell had a second map overlaying the surface map of the Shinjuku ghetto. There were far more troublesome areas where Lelouch could lay an effective trap than she wished, but his resources were limited. She could work with this.

"Break the encirclement," Marrybell commanded.

This drew a round of fervent protests.

 _What I wouldn't give for loyal soldiers who would just do as I say. I don't have time to constantly explain myself._

"The terrorists aren't running away, and your encirclement is too big to be a force multiplier. If we tightened it enough to act as such, they will _just leave_. They've clearly demonstrated they're capable of it by destroying our tanks. The only thing keeping them here is the belief that they can win. There aren't even civilians around to protect. All our encirclement is doing is spreading our own forces thin. We'll re-engage in larger groups that can't be picked off."

That got her men to obey and issue the command.

"Your Highness, we're receiving a transmission from…the Eleven."

Marrybell ignored the disrespect. "Put him on."

On the main monitor of the command room, a video feed of Suzaku appeared in a borrowed Sutherland. "Ready to launch, Your Highness."

"Good. Lady Stadtfeld is still in the Glasgow but disappeared for a few minutes earlier, so assume she has a full energy filler."

"Thanks for the warning. Anything special about the Glasgow to watch out for?"

And that hit on a point that worried Marrybell. It was possible Lady Stadtfeld had stayed in the Glasgow to be 'fair', but it was equally likely for there to be some darker purpose. Of course, if Lelouch believed he had a wide enough margin of error for victory, perhaps he simply wanted Marrybell to waste time pondering the matter. Lady Stadtfeld was also very recognisable in the single distinct knightmare, which had its own uses.

"Not that I'm aware of," Marrybell replied.

Suzaku nodded. He then said, "Kururugi Suzaku launching."

* * *

"K1," Kallen said, "during the bombarding the purists finally realised I'm not worth chasing. Do you have anything for me to do, or should I just go back to causing chaos in the ranks?"

"Act as you see fit," Lelouch replied. "I'm sure K2 will come up with something spectacular in an attempt to deal with you, so be careful."

"Alright," Kallen said, smiling even as she suppressed a chuckle. Lelouch had already taken to referring to Marrybell by a codename.

The fact sensors of Kallen's Glasgow alerted her to an approaching _single_ Sutherland.

 _Oi! Marrybell, give me a little credit and use a less obvious trap!_

Normally, Kallen would run and bait the Sutherland following her into her side's own trap, but that could lead her into a counter trap if Marrybell knew the likely directions she would flee. Of course, there could _also_ be an ambush approaching even as she considered the matter. It was rarely wise to stop moving when alone in the middle of a battle.

 _I suppose I could just run in a direction Marrybell's forces shouldn't have any presence and then engage in a short duel._

Finding that idea appealing, Kallen fired her slash harkens. She used them to pull herself up into the air, landing atop a building nearby. As expected, the approaching Sutherland moved to follow her. She took off deeper into the ghetto where the fighting grew less intense, travelling until she made her way to the centre of an area Marrybell's bombardment had levelled to the ground. No one would be able to sneak up on her there.

When her opponent arrived, Kallen decided to engage in a little taunting to speed things up. She turned on her Glasgow's external speakers. "You know, the rest of your friends have wizened up and flee from me on sight. It makes it next to impossible for me to do anything useful. So what's your story?"

"Eto… I'm not sure how you want me to respond to that."

Kallen blinked. "Kururugi?"

"It's me."

Kallen let out an exasperated sigh. "Sending someone after me I can't risk killing without rendering all this pointless. Her Highness fights dirty."

"The same could be said of you and Prince Lelouch," Kururugi returned.

"That would imply you have even the tiniest chance of killing me."

Kururugi paused a moment and seemed to consider that. "I don't suppose we could simply both agree to talk this one out? I don't approve of this game your prince is playing with my princess."

"If you know she's going to lose, you should have said that to her, not me."

"Marrybell won't lose!"

Kallen smirked. "Good answer. Wrong, but good."

A string of mumbling came from Kururugi's Sutherland before he properly replied. "It's not that. You're throwing lives away for nothing. Just think! You're fighting alongside terrorists of all things. Why were you even in the ghetto when all this started?"

"I was looking for someone," Kallen replied. "I told you I used to live in Japan. I still have people I care about living here. As for throwing away lives, what do you think the purists were going to do both now and in the future? Better to rein them in now than let them make racial tensions here even worse than they already are."

Kallen nodded to herself. The further she went, the more likely Kururugi was to do something foolish that she could take advantage of to carefully knock him out of the fight.

"You might even say I'm _saving_ lives. This area grows ever more uncomfortably close to open rebellion. Can you imagine the death toll if _that_ happened? Yes, the only thing wrong Lelouch and I have done here is calling Marrybell to be our opponent. Without her involved, we probably could have exterminated the purists without a single casualty. Assuming you care about the terrorists' lives, that is. And just think! When we win, your people will even have a little bit of their dignity returned to them with the victory. A second Miracle of Itsukushima where Britannia _didn't_ kerb stomp you."

"You're baiting me," Kururugi accused.

Kallen chuckled. "You caught me. Still, I stand by most of what I said. But a battlefield isn't really the place to discuss poli…tics…" She paused. "You got me talking!"

It was Kururugi's turn to say, "You caught me."

"I see. Princess Marrybell truly does fight dirty." Kallen withdrew her Glasgow's assault rifle. "I can't let you keep wasting my time. If you're done, I'll allow you to leave in peace. Otherwise, I'm going to have to take you out by force."

Kururugi withdrew his own assault rifle. "Please go easy on me."

"I only promise not to kill you," Kallen said. She fired her slash harkens as she did.

Kururugi dodged. Not unexpected. When Kallen came flying toward him with her rifle firing, he sidestepped the attack and rushed forward while she was still airborne. He activated his stun tonfa and struck.

Kallen batted away the tonfa with her rifle, leaving her Glasgow undamaged. She let her slash harkens detach and dropped to the ground early. Once on her feet again, she spun with one foot out in an attempt to trip Kururugi. He jumped.

Now in the air, Kururugi took aim with his rifle. He pulled the trigger.

Kallen fired her right slash harken. It struck Kururugi's gun, sparing her any true damage to her frame. A few bullets still hit, and Kururugi managed to keep ahold of his rifle, but now she had an opening.

Taking advantage of Kururugi's lack of defence, Kallen delivered an uppercut with her left arm. It missed, but it came close enough to scrape paint.

Kururugi leapt backward, landing carefully on the treacherous terrain. "You're every bit as good as I've been warned."

Kallen smirked as she prepared to go all out. "You're not bad yourself. With your tech advantage, you might even make me break a sweat. Lelouch and I should have expected Princess Marrybell to have an Ace up her sleeve."

"Thank you for the compliment, Lady Stadtfeld."

"Kallen," Kallen insisted.

"Suzaku, then."

Kallen leapt forward.

* * *

Lelouch both hated and loved how competent his future ally had proven to be. He had much of the ghetto rigged to explode one way or another, yet Marrybell had so far almost entirely managed to avoid his pitfall traps and a repeat of what had happened to her tanks. That was expected, if annoying. Their mere existence gave his forces escape routes and safe passages hers could never follow.

But Marrybell was also doing a wondrous job avoiding the buildings Lelouch had set up to collapse in addition to his more mundane land mines. Surely she was unaware of their exact locations, but she clearly knew enough to avoid more suspect areas when possible and send only a small handful of troops at a time through them otherwise.

"K1," Naoto said. "Our scouts report sighting a bomb squad heading to the building at A8."

Lelouch gazed at his map with a frown. That was a trap on the fringe of the battle, but Marrybell attempting to disable _any_ of his traps was unacceptable. Fortunately, like all things, she had a limited supply of experts capable of safely defusing explosives.

* * *

 _Dammit!_

Marrybell glared at the lost dots of one of her bomb squads. Lelouch had caught her out _again_. This time he'd merely detonated a bomb early without any obvious targets. She knew this was the terrorists' home ground, but they must have the ghetto under _extreme_ surveillance for him to do that.

 _There's no point in sending out more squads. Lelouch will just do this again. And again. And again. I'm going to have to resort to brute force defusing: shooting bombs and hoping no one dies._

"Command proving more difficult than expected?" Lord Machlin sneered.

Marrybell ignored him, but an idea occurred. There were a few key positions that she _needed_ to pass to get to Lelouch which she _knew_ were trapped, and trapped, and trapped again. But there _was_ another way to neutralise them.

"Contact Suzaku."

A second later, Suzaku appeared on-screen looking very dishevelled and focused. His words came disjointed and fragmentary. "Kind of busy."

"Can you lead Lady Stadtfeld somewhere?"

"No," was Suzaku's immediate reply. "I run, she'll ignore me. Can't pressure. She's–" His eyes widened, and Marrybell heard the sound of him frantically working the controls of his Sutherland.

"I understand," Marrybell said. That was the difference proper training and experience made, she supposed. Suzaku had the better machine, but that only put him on somewhat more equal footing. "Close the connection."

Marrybell sighed. She had no option but to fire into melee, so to speak. "Gather our remaining artillery. I need precision strikes at the following locations."

* * *

"R1, I need a sniping team to take out the Britannian tanks. This is high priority. We'll lose much of our defensive power if they manage to clear the streets between us and them."

"Understood."

Lelouch changed his radio to reach Kallen. "Q1, I need you to clear out an area to protect a few snipers."

Kallen promptly replied, "Just tell me where."

Lelouch transmitted the coordinates to her along with the expected line of fire.

"Alright, I'll head there immediately. But you should be aware that Suzaku is in a Sutherland and is an Ace."

Lelouch silently cursed in his own mind. That was one hell of a surprise on Marrybell's part.

"His job seems to be keeping me busy. I imagine he'll follow me, but I'm nearing the point of simply refusing to fight him. This is taking too long."

"I'm ecstatic to hear I successfully worked the tunnel vision out of you."

"We agreed never to speak of that," Kallen hissed as Lelouch indulged in the brief moment of levity. "I'm setting out now."

* * *

Suzaku blinked as Kallen's attack flew wide. It was not a feint, just really, _really_ bad. Was she tiring?

 _Wait, where is she going?_

"Sorry, Suzaku," Kallen called back. "I don't have time to play with you anymore."

Suzaku sat stunned for a second as he watched Kallen drive, hop, and slash harken herself away back into the battle proper at maximum speed.

And then Suzaku's brain rebooted, and he gave chase.

* * *

"Another ambush! We lost a straggler from Nash's platoon."

Marrybell fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Review the camera feed."

Twenty seconds later, the same officer said, "A terrorist was spotted alone–"

"Except he wasn't," Marrybell interrupted. She could instruct these fools not to make any solo moves, but it seemed nothing short of death would make them learn. "Have our scouts found any terrorist cameras or other sensors yet?"

"No, Your Highness."

 _Then how is Lelouch so accurately tracking my troops! He can't be intercepting our IFF data. The encryption key was only distributed right before the encirclement started, and I already changed it once just in case. Does he have a spy within my ranks? They would have to be in a knight…_

"I need movement data from all of our knightmares since the beginning of the battle."

Upon her request, Marrybell received the data beside her map. She started it at the present time and worked her way back. Each Sutherland had a winding line from its current position to its old one along the path it took. Each Sutherland except for the ones whose cockpit ejected, that was. Those stayed in place until the time of their defeat, and one in particular suddenly appeared not long after Lelouch had abruptly ended her artillery bombardment.

Marrybell dismissed the movement data and turned to her communications officers. "Can we transmit false IFF data to our Sutherlands?"

"The system isn't designed to do that, Your Highness. It would take some time to program such a feature."

"Nevermind, then," Marrybell said. There went that plan to turn Lelouch's own advantage against him. Unfortunately, while she now knew exactly where he was, he'd set up base too far into enemy territory to reach. Not that she would trust anyone here but Suzaku with his capture, anyway. "From now on, discontinue outbound communications with ejected cockpits" _like you're supposed to so that your enemy can't use your IFF data against you!_

"Your Highness!"

 _Urgh! What now…_

"Snipers are destroying our remaining tanks."

* * *

Lelouch's IFF Display suddenly showed a disconnected error message. He clicked his tongue.

 _Marrybell finally noticed. Unfortunate, but I've done enough damage already to win._

"R1, I've lost Britannia's IFF feed. Have all of our P units turn their IFF units on. I repeat, _only_ the P units. The encryption key we'll use is…" Lelouch quietly snickered. "'The Rose of Britannia.'"

A minute later, Kallen's voice came over the radio proclaiming her utter loathing for Lelouch.

* * *

Lelouch interrupted Kallen's rant, asking, "How are you handling Kururugi?"

With nothing further than a grunt, Kallen set aside her grudge for the moment. "Well enough. I'm staying ahead of him, at least." She would probably be having a much harder go of it had Marianne not enjoyed playing tag with her in knightmare simulators so many years ago.

"Good. The snipers have finished their task. I'd like Kururugi not to be a variable in this fight much longer. Do you want their support?"

A Sutherland appeared from around the corner. Kallen immediately fired a slash harken at it. It dodged in the unusually acrobatic manner she was quickly coming to associate with Suzaku. Not wanting to deal with him just yet, she ducked down an alley to seek out weaker prey.

"I think I'll pass," Kallen said. "Suzaku moves too irregularly for a sniper not to risk seriously injuring him. I think I have an idea to get rid of him, though. I'll get back to you soon."

"Very well."

Noticing that Suzaku was already on her tail _again_ , Kallen decided to put her plan into action. It was daring, bold, glorious, and incredibly stupid, but it _should_ work, and losing a Glasgow to take out a Sutherland was an acceptable trade in this instance.

Kallen climbed atop a short building to get a better view of the ghetto. Not far away, she saw exactly the structure she needed. It was _very_ tall, and there were other tall buildings near _ish_ to it. It also looked sturdy enough to scale. Most importantly, she recognised it as one of the buildings rigged with explosives.

"K1, when I give the command, I need you to blow up the building in" – Kallen glanced down at her map – "G17, okay?"

"Alright. Make sure Kururugi doesn't die."

Pushing her Glasgow to its limit, Kallen quickly made her way to the specified building. She scaled it with alternating slash harkens, jumping away from the outside wall in-between each shot to get a better angle.

Kallen was not surprised when Suzaku reached the roof not long after she did. She activated her Glasgow's external speakers. This had to be done carefully to work.

"Suzaku, why do you think I came up here?"

"I can honestly say I haven't a clue," Suzaku replied. "But it does seem rather dramatic: one final duel atop the highest peak of a ruined city."

"True. But without a sniper rifle, there's little I can do up here other than twiddle my thumbs. If I were you, I would have stayed on the ground."

A second passed as Suzaku considered that. "You have a good point. What now, then?"

"A piece of advice. The purists hate you, and right now you're behind enemy lines. Be _very_ careful making your way back to your princess." Kallen momentarily toggled between her speakers and radio. "K1, now."

As Kallen gave the order, Suzaku said, "You sound very confident you'll defeat me."

"I don't have to."

Thunderous booms rang out in sequence one after another from below.

"Gravity will."

Kallen took off at full speed toward the edge of the roof.

"Don't die," Kallen called out as the building dropped out beneath her. She jumped toward another building. Behind her, Suzaku followed suit.

Kallen smirked. All according to plan. Had Suzaku stayed on the building, he _might_ have been able to ride it down and keep his Sutherland intact. As it was, both of them were too far away to use their slash harkens to catch themselves, and the fall would kill them even in knightmares.

"Later," Kallen said as she hit the ejection switch on her cockpit.

Thrusters roared. Cockpit and Glasgow separated at high speed. Perhaps a minute later, Kallen landed deep within allied lines no worse for the wear. Radio in hand, she made her way into the outside world, fighting through the parachute that had come to rest atop her cockpit.

Kallen looked back in the direction she'd come from. As far as she could tell, Suzaku had been forced to eject, too. That meant she and Lelouch had a fair amount of time where he would be stuck on foot.

Kallen, on the other hand, turned on her radio. "K1, I need a new knightmare. My old one…eh, probably exploded."

"What? What happened?"

* * *

Jeremiah kept a vigilant eye on every entrance to the room his prince had chosen to command from. No enemies had yet managed to make it this far, and he doubted any would, but that was no reason to be lax.

Then without warning, Prince Lelouch burst into howling laughter.

Jeremiah permitted himself a few seconds to glance at his liege in curiosity. _What on Earth just happened?_

* * *

"Your Highness, I have good news, better news, and bad news." The way Lord Machlin said that, the bad news sounded like good news to him.

"Bad news first," Marrybell replied.

"Very well. The Eleven was forced to eject."

 _That is indeed bad news,_ Marrybell thought grimly. Lady Stadtfeld was on the prowl once more.

"The good news," Lord Machlin continued, "is that Lady Stadtfeld was also forced to eject."

"Oh?" _Well done, Suzaku!_ "What's the better news?"

A communications officer spoke up this time. "We've managed to hack into the enemy IFF network. We're bringing up the data now."

Indeed, a few seconds later, and Marrybell's map had updated with dozens of knightmare triangles under Lelouch's control. They hastened about the field, dancing to his whim as they followed plan after plan after plan. Even just watching for a few moments, she could tell the terrorists were subjected to an impressive level of micromanagement.

Still, Britannian encryption technology was _supposed_ to be unbreakable. Human error remained the one problematic component. "What was the encryption key?" Marrybell asked.

"One moment… Ah, it was 'The Rose of Britannia'."

Marrybell frowned slightly. She understood the reference to Lady Stadtfeld. It felt unusually sentimental and unsecure for her impression of Lelouch. But then he had made no secret to her of his intentions toward the countess. Perhaps she needed to revise her opinion of him.

"We'll proceed cautiously," Marrybell said. If _she_ could not send false IFF data, then neither could Lelouch. She _highly_ doubted he would carry such software around on his person, let alone have cause to develop it or time to install it. Still, something felt wrong. "Begin picking off the outermost groups. Watch for traps. Keep platoons together in strength. Stay out of the areas I marked as dangerous before."

As Marrybell watched her plan come together, a persistent feeling of wrongness niggled at her thoughts. This was _too easy_. Before, every time she'd countered one of Lelouch's moves, he made a new play of his own. When she kicked him out of her IFF network, he surely must have had a secondary plan. Simply using his own network was, well, too simple.

 _He can't send me false data. We're getting enemy sightings that confirm the data we're intercepting. They've even lost a few knightmares already._

Marrybell's eyes widened in full panic. Lelouch could not send _false_ data, but he could lie just as easily with the truth. "Pull everyone back immediately! This isn't all of the terrorists!"

* * *

"R1, give the command. Open fire with everything we have. Don't spare the chaos mines."

And it was done. Seconds passed, and with each one, a half-dozen more purist knightmares were identified as lost. An army destroyed with one final ambush carried out four times over in perfect coordination. Marrybell could continue the fight, but no matter what happened now, she'd lost.

"And with this I call checkmate." Lelouch pressed the transmission button on his radio but paused a moment. He could order a retreat now. He had his victory. Even if he forced the purists out of the ghetto today, Britannia as a whole would return tomorrow if Naoto's resistance remained. There was little point in routing them.

And yet Lelouch _wanted_ to break the purists utterly.

"Q1, I want you to lead the cleanup. Destroy the knightmares that managed to survive. Let our allies do whatever they want with the purists."

"No problem."

Lelouch changed frequencies. "R1, we're just about done here. I suggest you set everyone not in a knightmare to packing. You'll need to leave Shinjuku. I would keep any civilians from returning as well."

"Understood. I… Thank you for today, Le – K1. As much as I wish you hadn't involved yourselves, you and Q1 were an unexpected, miraculous gift."

"We had selfish reasons for our actions," Lelouch said with an unseen shrug. "Nonetheless, you're welcome. But don't forget that Q1 is still _very_ angry with you. I won't be helping you with that battle."

"Not even a little?" Naoto pled.

"Well," Lelouch began, "perhaps a small hint. Kallen rather desperately wants a 'cool' moniker as a knightmare pilot. If you stoked the rumour mill…"

A thoughtful hum came over the radio. "Understood. Thank you."

Now that everything was over, Lelouch took a deep breath in before letting it out in a slow, lazy exhale. Real battle had been more exhausting than he'd expected. He needed a moment to rest. He deserved a moment to rest.

 _I won._

* * *

From her spot collapsed in a chair, Marrybell indulged in a graceless slouch and let her head loll back. All about her, the purists set about withdrawing from Shinjuku with their tails between their legs. Surprisingly, almost no one blamed her for the loss. No one had explicitly said it, but everyone had thought it.

Lelouch was _brilliant_.

Looking back, Marrybell could see the mistakes she'd made. Lelouch's tricks had been obvious once she'd seen them for what they were.

Marrybell cracked open an eye to observe a bruised and badly shaken Suzaku not far from her. A small giggle escaped her at the thought of how he'd lost. Lady Stadtfeld was absolutely mad. It was no wonder Lelouch wanted her in his bed. If Marrybell thought she stood a chance…

A sigh escaped Marrybell.

 _I lost._

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, that was _fun_ to write. I hope it was equally enjoyable to read. This was my first go at choreographing a (non-comedic) large-scale battle, and what a universe to do it in. _Code Geass_ is one of those magical worlds where the vast majority of its combat thrives on the Rule of Cool.

One chapter remains in the Marrybell Arc.

By the by, Britannia in this story is a partial mixture of American and British culture leaning toward the latter with a fair bit of its own alternative history mixed in, so if you want to Brit-pick me, feel free to offer, but not everything is a mistake.


	10. R1 S10 - Moving Forward

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 10 - Moving Forward

 **Nakano Ghetto, Area 11  
November 19, 2015 a.t.b.**

"So which one of you is going to explain what happened yesterday?"

Naoto and Kaname glanced at each other. The latter wore an expression that said this was entirely Naoto's problem to deal with.

Minami Yoshitaka, head of intelligence, adjusted his damaged glasses and added another question onto Inoue's. "Who exactly was this Q1, and where did she go? I've been told she's your sister, Kōzuki-san, but I'm not aware that you had one."

"And if you were always such an accomplished tactician, why am I our head strategist?" asked Sugiyama Kento. "Yesterday's battle was _terrifying_. Halfway through, the Brits put someone hyper-competent in charge."

Naoto latched onto that last comment to forestall the incoming headache. " _That_ is why," he said. "You could tell they weren't just suddenly taking us seriously but had an entirely new commander."

Sugiyama considered this for a moment before shrugging. "Minami-san, do you know who they put in charge?"

"Not yet. Kōzuki-san?"

Naoto sighed. "Marrybell mel Britannia."

"The banished princess?" Inoue said.

At the same time, Sugiyama said, "The little girl!"

Minami more calmly commented, "She _is_ getting older. We're going to have trouble sooner rather than later if Britannia continues to let her command."

"Maybe," Naoto said. This would be news to Kaname. "As I understand it, she lost some sort of bet with her brother yesterday."

While the other three present were clearly confused at how Naoto could know that, Kaname asked, "You mean Prince Lelouch, right? Not Clovis?"

Naoto nodded, and Sugiyama asked, "Wait. There's hundreds of princes. Which one is Lelouch?"

"Marianne the Flash's son," Minami said.

Inoue and Sugiyama paled. Even so many years after her death, people still recognised Marianne's name well enough to be properly terrified at the mere mention of it.

As there was no easy way to say it and no way to avoid it for long, Naoto simply added, "He's also my sister's liege lord."

Silence reigned.

Inoue spoke first, if hesitantly. "Karen-san is a knight of honour? To the Flash's son?"

"Her proper name is Kallen Stadtfeld," Naoto offered. "Kōzuki is our mother's maiden name."

Sugiyama pinched the bridge of his nose. "I think you owe us a _big_ explanation."

"Some other time if you promise to keep it to yourselves. It's a long story and bears no relevance in deciding what we need to do right now. For the moment, I'll only mention that Kallen and I are on good terms…probably…and we can trust her to be indifferent to our activities."

"What about her prince?" Minami asked. From the inflection of his voice, he only sought confirmation.

"The same," Naoto admitted.

Sugiyama asked, "Are you sure?"

While Naoto struggled for the right words, Minami simply stated, "The prince was commanding."

Silence reigned, and Naoto sighed.

"Yes. And yes," Naoto continued, "his bet involved our battle. I really don't want to argue over whether he and Kallen used us or not, so can we please agree we used each other and not mention any of this to anyone else? We did come out _much_ further ahead than we were before and with a major victory."

Agreement came quickly from those assembled.

"What are we going to tell everyone else, though?" Inoue asked. "Kar… Kallen-dono is very popular. Questions are being asked, yet she just vanished. Someone figured out that Q1 is a chess reference, too, and everyone has started calling her the 'Black Queen'."

 _You're welcome, Kallen_ , Naoto commented to himself. He hoped she enjoyed becoming an urban legend.

"Do we really need to say anything?" Kaname asked.

"This won't go away without an explanation," Inoue insisted.

"Everyone knows Kallen-chan is Naoto's _little_ sister, emphasis on little. If anything, they'll assume she's part of the JLF if she's an active resistance member at all."

"Please can we get back on topic?" Naoto interrupted. "We have more important things to do than discuss my family's odd history."

Again, agreement came quickly, this time with a little embarrassment, and then their meeting truly started.

"From early reports," Minami began, "the people of Nakano are mostly accepting of our presence here. Word has already spread of our victory in Shinjuku without civilian casualties. While some are wary of the attention we might bring, most are too busy celebrating to care."

That was good. The people might change their minds once the fervour died down, but until then, Naoto's resistance had a safe place to rest and recover. "What of… I can't remember the local resistance's name."

Minami sighed, then said, "They call themselves the Fist of the North Star."

Naoto, Kaname, and Sugiyama immediately facepalmed.

"Am I missing something?" Inoue asked.

Sugiyama turned to Inoue and said, "Nothing important, Naomi." Then addressing the group, he added, "So how are the NEETs reacting?"

"More or less as the civilians are. Some have already expressed their desire to join us."

Kaname nodded. "I've had a few locals approach me for recruitment already. Assuming they're willing to do the work expected of them, I don't foresee any problems. Naoto?"

"I agree. We'll have to speak in more detail with whatever power structure currently exists here, but for now, let's establish a new headquarters. Objections?"

There were none.

"Alright. Let's get to work."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 20, 2015 a.t.b.**

"And here is the study," Milly said. "Lelouch and Kallen use it to take care of business. You know how nobility and royalty gets."

"Somewhat," Naoto admitted. He let out a small sigh. "So I'm 'business' now?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. But Kallen is expecting you, so you'd best prepare yourself. She's not been in the best mood lately."

"I don't think I'm going to be any more ready than I am now. Thank you for showing me up, Milly."

Milly offered Naoto a small smile. "Good luck."

Once Milly left, Naoto knocked on the study door.

"Enter!" came Kallen's muffled voice.

Naoto did so. Inside, he found Kallen seated at one of two desks. Both possessed stacks upon stacks of paper, but the one currently in use was fully covered in smaller piles. In her hand, Kallen held a stapled packet flipped open to the middle. After a few seconds, she quietly set it off to the side still open.

"Shut the door and sit down."

Ignoring how weird it felt to have his _much_ younger sister ordering him about, Naoto did as commanded without a word of protest. Sometime in the last five years, Kallen had managed to master their mother's stare. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as though he were once more a kid caught stealing cookies from the kitchen in the middle of the night.

"What were you working on?" Naoto decided to ask. The mood was too heavy.

After a second longer of staring, Kallen deigned to answer. "Cornelia is my regent and usually delegates the upkeep of my estate, my domain, and my businesses, but I'll be an adult at the end of March. I've been slowly adopting more of the workload for myself over the past year. I won't always be available to do it myself, but it's experience in domestics, politics, and economics I need, and I don't wish to be an absentee ruler. There are enough parasites in Britannia already."

"Dad would be proud."

Kallen ignored the compliment. Instead, she asked, "Naoto, do you know _why_ I'm angry?"

"Because I'm a resistance fighter."

"No." The word came without fanfare or emotion.

Surprised, Naoto tried again. "Because I didn't _tell you_ I'm a resistance fighter?"

"No."

Naoto had thought not. Ignorance was bliss in this case. Just knowing what he did for his people put Kallen in the very same awkward position she now found herself. "It's not that I didn't ask you to join or help out, right?"

Kallen's frown intensified. "Partially the latter, but no."

"I know you've offered to help _me_ before," Naoto said, "but I wouldn't have ever let you get involved with a resistance. Recent events notwithstanding."

"You misunderstand. Try again."

"I think I need help to understand, then."

Kallen intertwined her fingers and tapped her thumbs together. Eventually, she said, "It's not easy to put into few words. In short, I feel unvalued and…disappointed." She held up a hand to forestall Naoto's objections. "Disappointed might not have been the right word. Let me ask you a few questions. What are you attempting to accomplish with your…resistance?"

A frown briefly passed over Naoto's face as he contemplated what alternative word Kallen had been tempted to use.

"Primarily we keep, well, kept order within Shinjuku."

"Limited self-rule. A noble goal," Kallen said. "No one cares what numbers do to each other so long as it doesn't cause external problems." She paused to glower at Naoto. "So what did you do to _make_ Britannia care about you?"

"What do you think? Not everyone who comes to Shinjuku is Japanese. Most of those who aren't have ill intent. Can you guess how many rapes alone I, personally, have prevented? How many I _haven't_? Have you ever seen a group of Britannians beat a man to death for looking at them the wrong way? Do you expect us to just let such crimes happen and say, 'Oh, what cheeky buggers,' when it's over?"

"Of course not. But what you chose to do only brought Britannia back in greater and greater force, culminating in a battle you were woefully underprepared for."

"Then what's _your_ suggestion!" Naoto said more hotly than he'd have liked.

"That you at least _try_ to solve the problem."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" About as sarcastically as possible, Naoto asked, "Do you expect me to reclaim the archipelago for Japan?"

"Yes!"

Naoto had no words. All that escaped him was a bewildered, "What?"

"You raised a military force, Naoto. You're a rebel. If you're going to rebel, _do it properly_."

"You… _want_ me to lead a rebellion?"

"I do not," was Kallen's immediate response, which only made Naoto even more confused. "For a population as small as Shinjuku's, which you've shown is all you feel responsible for through the long-term scope of your 'resistance', you had other options. _I_ was one of them. I've _never_ made it a secret I have sentimental attachments to Japan; it's practically – no, it _is_ public knowledge that I spent my early years here. I could have outright _bought_ Shinjuku, and no one would have noticed or cared. Even at ten, I could have made _something_ happen for you. I even _offered_ on a smaller scale than I realised you needed."

 _Oh…_ That explained the unvalued feeling.

Kallen pinched the bridge of her nose, mumbling, "Not that any of that matters now." She shook her head. "If you're going to rebel _anyway_ despite all that, then at least make a proper go of it."

 _Say what now?_ The countess advocating non-violent solutions had just endorsed launching a full-scale rebellion? _I think it's time to admit I don't understand my sister anymore._ It was a long shot, but Naoto guessed, "You don't just want to be able to come home, do you?"

"I _have_ a home," Kallen said with enough passion that Naoto had no doubt of her sincerity. "One you have repeatedly refused to be part of."

That stung.

Kallen then added, "And that's fine. You're an adult. I _have_ a guardian."

That almost hurt even more. Not wanting to think about his sister's ever diverging life without him, Naoto changed the subject. "Why would you even suggest I…'rebel properly'? What if I took you seriously and did?"

"I _was_ serious."

"What?"

Kallen let out an exasperated sigh. "You destroyed the borough you were trying to protect, so what now?" she demanded.

"Shinjuku is just a place. It's people are still alive and well."

"And all of them, you included, have a chance to start over. So again, _what now_? You're going to meet the same results if you don't do something different, and I doubt Lelouch and I will be there to save you next time."

"And thus 'rebel properly'." Naoto understood now, or at least he thought he did.

"I'd rather you not," Kallen said, "but I would understand if you did. I've thrown myself into making the world a better place. I won't begrudge you the chance to do the same even if we choose different paths."

Naoto paused a moment as he considered Kallen's words. It almost sounded like – "Are you offering me something?"

"I'm not offering you a damn thing," Kallen retorted. "You turned me down every single time up till now. If you want something, you can bloody well ask for it yourself."

"I see…"

Kallen scoffed. "Go think about what it is you want. Not just 'free Japan' or such, but identify what your real issues are. After that, spend five actual minutes considering what it would mean to reach your goals and listing what resources you have. _Then_ think about _how_ you can solve your problems."

"That sounds like good advice."

"I'm paraphrasing one of Lelouch's books on how to manipulate people."

Naoto quirked his eyebrows.

Kallen shrugged as if to say, 'I'm a politician. So what?' She then explained, "He makes me read survey papers on cognitive science. It's educational."

Naoto delivered an impassive, "I'm conflicted."

"Not my problem. Now get out. Come back tomorrow less half-arsed than the last five years. I'll be in a more amicable mood then."

* * *

Lelouch entered not long after Naoto left. Kallen briefly looked up from her work to greet him. He apparently had other plans than letting her work in peace, however, as he took the papers in her hand and set them aside.

"How did your talk with Naoto go?" Lelouch asked.

Sighing, Kallen offered Lelouch a small smile. "I told him off for being a half-arsed prat."

"Yes, I never was very impressed with the limited scope of his ambition. I meant to speak with him about it, but there was never time, and his continual successes made it low priority."

"I don't need excuses from you," Kallen said. "The battle was your apology, remember?"

"How convenient for me."

"Quite. How was Clovis?"

"Surprisingly more amenable to our interpretation of events. I suspect Marrybell had a few words with him since yesterday, although the latest rumour might have had more of an effect."

Kallen knew she would regret asking, yet she still did. "And what rumour is that?"

"The love-filled prince rode to the defence of his princess who was beset on all sides by villainous curs. Alas that he had no choice but to ally himself with traitors to the empire to save her."

"What the hell is that rubbish!"

Lelouch chuckled. "Everyone loves a lady and her knight."

"That is _so backwards_ ," Kallen groaned.

"But endearing nonetheless. I have no complaints if the populous wishes to romanticise us."

"I suppose."

Returning to their original topic, Lelouch asked, "Do you know what Naoto's future plans are?"

"No. I told him to think about what he wanted and then come back tomorrow."

"Did you remember to offer him money, women, and power if he joins us?"

Kallen rolled her eyes at the jest. "I only implied we're up to something agreeable. If his curiosity gets the better of him, great. If not, I hear he has shinobi looking after him, so he'll live long enough for me to save him."

"I could persuade him, if you wish."

As much as Kallen wanted Naoto around, she said, "I'd rather you not. He has all the information he needs to either come to a decision or _ask_ for more – come to us, you know." She sighed. "I'm just so tired of being rejected. Let him make the first move this time. It's not like we need him, anyway. Is that petty?"

"Perhaps, but justifiable nonetheless."

"Thanks. Are you going to let me work now?"

"I'd intended to," Lelouch began, "but that was when I thought you'd settled things with Naoto. A knight protects his princess in all things including matters of the heart."

Kallen snorted, amused. "Fine. I know what would make me feel better."

* * *

"You know," Milly said, "I'm going to start charging Lelouch and Kallen for my services if they keep making me bring their guests to them."

Marrybell chuckled. It was easy to see why Euphie enjoyed Milly's company. There were few who were willing to be so brazen yet friendly with royalty.

 _Maybe I should enrol in Ashford, too. It could be fun._

Indeed, as Milly led Marrybell through the academy's campus, she noted how beautiful and spacious the grounds were. The school truly did look like a lovely place to live.

"And here is the student council building, the seat of my power."

The structure before Marrybell was impressively magnificent in appearance, although she had no idea why a student organisation needed so much space. She had seen noble manors of smaller size and less grandeur.

"From it, I rule all within my sight."

Marrybell glanced behind her to see the government borough in the distance. "I'll be sure to let Clovis know he's usurped your reign and tell him off for it."

A wide smile formed on Milly's face. "I like you," she declared. "You're going to fit in perfectly. Now come. Let's see if we can find our beloved prince and countess."

The pair set out on their not-so-epic quest. Not long after, they heard voices from the balcony and so headed that way.

And there were Lelouch and Kallen. The latter reclined atop a pile of pillows with heavy blankets wrapped around her. The parts of her left exposed basked in the sun. Lelouch sat nearby beside a bowl of ice water containing grapes with a small mound of peels adjacent. Kallen opened her mouth, and Lelouch fed her another grape.

"Oh ho! What have we here?"

Kallen grinned at Milly. "Lelouch lost a bet." She turned her gaze to Marrybell. "Thanks for that, Your Highness."

Marrybell restrained herself from laughing, but she did share a smile. She suspected they were only doing this _now_ and _in front of her_ to show that they were decent, open people and not power-hungry monsters, but the thought made her no less amused.

"Marrybell, please. If we're to be allies as–" A snicker escaped her. "–your manservant wishes, we should also be friends."

"There are worse things than feeding grapes to a beautiful woman," Lelouch deadpanned in response to the jab, eliciting a blush from Kallen. She only grew redder as he added, "And such is but a small sacrifice in the face of potentially regaining my unfortunately uncommitted handmaiden."

"More grapes!" Kallen demanded, interrupting.

"Yes, yes," Lelouch said. "As you command, my queen."

"Should I come back another time?" Marrybell asked. "The current mood seems incongruous with discussing affairs of state."

"No, now is fine," Lelouch said. "We have no one to impress but ourselves."

Milly said, "I'll take that as my cue to leave," and departed.

Once it was just the three of them, Lelouch asked, "I take it you accept your loss?"

Marrybell let out a small sigh. "I do."

"For what it's worth, you did very well," Lelouch said. "Had you led an army of your own into the field instead of the purists, I wouldn't have been so confident in my victory at the outset. A substantial part of my strategy centred around exploiting the difference between your perception of them and reality."

Kallen added, "Suzaku was a major surprise as well. Knight that boy before he gets away from you."

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow. While she was seriously considering doing so, she doubted anyone else would take him. "And who would steal him? You two?"

"I was thinking Euphie, actually."

"Why Euphemia?" Lelouch asked.

Kallen curled a finger, beckoning Lelouch closer. She whispered something into his ear.

"Absolutely not!"

As Marrybell observed a giggling Kallen demand more grapes, she felt she'd missed something rather important. Regardless, they had other matters to discuss. She cleared her throat to get Lelouch's and Kallen's attention back.

"What happened with the terrorists?"

While Kallen adopted a mixed expression bordering on a scowl, Lelouch replied, "They're good people on the opposite side of a fruitless war. You don't have to worry about them lashing out at civilians. If they engage in any future offensives, such will be strictly military in nature. That said, they do take offence to Britannians taking liberties with citizens under their protection and respond appropriately."

"You just let them go!" Marrybell asked, astonished.

"I make a habit of _not_ backstabbing those who aid me," Lelouch explained with a shrug. "If it truly concerns you, consider how much easier it will be to fight a pitched battle against thirty-seven Sutherlands than an endless number of ghosts."

 _That makes a certain sort of sense_ , Marrybell admitted to herself. "How did you convince the terrorists to let you command them?"

"Kallen is very persuasive."

Marrybell turned her gaze and inquiry to the girl in question.

Kallen heaved a heavy sigh. "My brother is their leader."

A moment passed in total silence.

"What?"

"Yeah, that was a surprise for me, too," Kallen said. "I'm hoping he'll disband the military aspect of his resistance or, better yet, join us, but he has an irksome stubbornness to him, so who knows."

"I see," Marrybell said flatly as she pinched the bridge of her nose. What had she gotten herself involved in? "I admit I'm surprised. I researched you, of course, and your father didn't seem the type to have affairs or shirk responsibility for a child."

" _He wasn't_ ," Kallen said. "I know I don't look it, but I, too, am half Japanese."

Marrybell's eyebrows shot up as she looked to Lelouch. _He intends to make a half-blood_ the _Empress Consort of Britannia?_ A short, breathy laugh escaped her in disbelief. Lelouch had ambition; no one could deny that.

"It should go without saying that Kallen's heritage is not to be shared with anyone at this time."

"I understand," Marrybell said, and she did. _That_ information needed to be very carefully released for maximum _positive_ effect. "What are your plans for Britannia?"

"Simply put," Lelouch began, "we intend to put an end to the constant struggles for power and discrimination rampant within our country, whether that be between or toward numbers, commoners, foreigners, nobles, or anything else."

"And the Areas?"

"We have no intention of relinquishing them, but at the very least, they will have their proper names returned."

Marrybell silently asked for Kallen's opinion, who shrugged. "Borders change all the time. The culture and the people are what's important."

"Very well then," Marrybell said. These were people she could work with. She navigated the difficulty of her dress to take a knee and then placed a fist over her heart. "I swear to aid you in your quest for the throne. You have my loyalty and that of those I command. I only ask that you hold true to your beliefs no matter how hard they are tested."

* * *

 **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
Nakano Ghetto, Area 11  
November 20, 2015 a.t.b.**

Nakano was alive with music and song in ways no one had seen in the ghettos in years. The sweet wine of victory filled the people's glasses as ever greater hyperbole spread over shared confectioneries baked perhaps for the first time in years. Japan had experienced a victory like no other since the Miracle of Itsukushima.

Such irony that a Britannian prince and a half-blood who chose her Britannian heritage over her Japanese ancestry gave that victory to them.

"Kōzuki-san," came the voice of Inoue. Naoto twisted in place to watch her approach. "We finally have power. My team finished rewiring our electrical grid to our own generator."

"Good. In that case, you should go join the celebration."

"The same could be said of you."

Naoto shrugged and turned back to look out upon the ghetto. He idly swung his legs over the drop below him and leaned back against the broken fence separating the rest of the roof from the edge he sat on.

"I'm can't. I have homework due tomorrow," Naoto said.

"Homework?" a bemused Inoue echoed.

"Or that's what it feels like."

"Uh-huh…"

"I feel like I'm in university again writing an essay about some great historical figure except this time I have to make everything up." Naoto paused as a thought occurred. "Ah, I studied political history as an undergrad."

"I suppose that makes sense for a blueblood."

Naoto shook his head, knowing it would be months before that little gag died down. "I was going to be a lawyer. I never wanted to be a politician, and from the moment I first saw her, I knew Kallen would be the one to inherit, well, everything. Could you imagine me as an earl?"

"Very easily," Inoue said. Naoto turned to quirk his eyebrows at her, and she continued, "The way you stepped up in Shinjuku to lead us after the war was nothing short of inspiring. True nobility, no?"

"That's not what I meant," Naoto mumbled.

A few seconds passed in silence before Inoue said, "Whatever is bothering you, if it helps, know that I've never once regretted choosing to follow you, Kōzuki-san. We've done so much good for our people."

"Shinjuku is also all but uninhabitable thanks to us."

"I don't believe anyone cares all that much. I know I, at least, never considered that ruin home. My home was taken from me along with everything else. But you know that."

Naoto nodded. He did know that. It was a common story and a common sentiment even among honourary Britannians living in proper cities.

"What's really bothering you, Kōzuki-san?"

Naoto allowed himself a moment to gather his thoughts. This was too big of a problem to be explained in haste.

"I fear we may have done something that cannot be undone."

"We can find a way to sacrifice our Sutherlands convincingly if Britannia takes too heavy a hand hunting for us," Inoue said. "It's more or less what we intended to do before Kallen-dono appeared."

Naoto shook his head. "It's not that. Hope is a wonderful, terrible thing. Just look at them." He said as he held his hand out toward the ghetto below. "Word will spread. We've done the impossible. We've proven that not only can Britannia be beaten, it can be done with practically nothing. What do you think the response will be?"

Inoue was silent.

"We have no plans for escalation. If… If we were true revolutionaries, perhaps we could prevent the oncoming disaster. Even turn it to our advantage. But we're not. Even if we wish to be, we're not ready; we don't have the skills or experience. And despite that, this is an irreplaceable opportunity that _must_ be seized yet _cannot_ be. Worse, at best we will merely repeat history if we maintain the status quo.

"I wish I had my sister's genius. Or better yet, her prince's. I wish we had an Ace. I wish we had someone with the charisma to move hearts and minds. I wish we had someone to fulfil the dream we foolishly gave our people."

Naoto took a slow, deep breath. "But there's only us. This is the moment were we either bow out or step up and accept that everything that happens hereafter is _our fault_. That _we_ need to fix it, not merely play our parts, because we can only change our own actions. It's not enough to explain that the circumstances in Shinjuku were unusual and the outcome unreplicable. People will try _anyway_. We'd need to give them a reason _not_ to try.

"There's a word for that… Atonement? Heroic responsibility? My sister might refer to it as some variation of noblesse oblige."

Naoto sighed. "I'm sorry, Inoue-san. I have a lot to think about. Thank you for listening, but you should go enjoy the celebration."

Despite her clear desire to stay, Inoue said, "Very well, Kōzuki-san. But please know that whatever you decide, I will support you."

That brought out Naoto's first real smile of the day.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
November 21, 2015 a.t.b.**

The next day, Naoto once again found himself in Ashford's student council building. This time, however, Kallen had taken them to the curiously named billiard room to talk – curious in that there was a ping pong table present instead. According to Kallen, Milly hated billiards yet still referred to the room by the name without a hint of shame.

"I'm not very good at this game," Naoto said in warning.

As she served, Kallen admitted, "This is one of the few sports Lelouch can beat me at, so you're not alone."

Naoto chuckled and scored the first point.

"In all the chaos over the last few days, I forgot to ask how Ohgi is."

"Quieter. More withdrawn. But still loves kids."

"Does he still teach?"

"When he finds the ti–" Naoto flinched as the ball bounced off his forehead before he could dodge.

"Sorry."

"–time," Naoto finished. Then came the hard truth. "Unfortunately, there's not much use for an education in the ghettos. Bright kids find hobbies and might develop, say, the skills of an electrician, but most settle for much less."

"That's awful."

"Yep."

"Not to be a condescending nob – I really am curious – but why not apply for full citizenship?"

"The reason varies from person to person," Naoto said. "For some, it would be surrendering the last shred of not their pride but dignity. Others can't tolerate the discrimination constantly shoved in their face. Many hate Britannia and Britannians too much to even consider it. Of course, there are also those who fight: for their country, for their neighbours, for their revenge. Reasons abound."

Kallen hummed in thought. "Nothing unexpected, but it's good to hear it at least second hand nonetheless. Thank you."

"No problem."

"Have you decided what you're going to do yet?"

Naoto completely mistimed his swing as the question hit him. After hunting down the ping pong ball, he replied, "Partially."

"That sounds like I'm not going to like your answer."

"You probably won't," Naoto admitted.

"Tell me anyway."

Naoto hesitated a moment, considering if it were wise to actually answer, before deciding he might as well. Kallen knew too much for him to have any hope of keeping his connection to the Japanese resistance hidden from Britannia anymore if she wanted to expose him. He served the ball.

"I considered what you said about asking you for help."

"Oh?" There was, unfortunately, a little hope creeping into Kallen's voice that Naoto knew he would soon squash.

"It wouldn't have worked. Suppose you helped Shinjuku and life became as pleasant there as one could possibly imagine. Do you really believe I would be content to live there in relative luxury?"

"No," Kallen said. "You would have come to me in Britannia otherwise."

"Exactly my own thoughts. I would have moved on to the next city to lend my aid to others. And then the next. And the next. And the next. You would need to fix the whole country before I felt allowed to rest."

"Hence why I accused you of being half-arsed."

Naoto allowed himself a fond smile. "You had me dead to rights."

"And your intentions now?" Kallen asked. "Obscurity? Rebellion? Something else?"

"May I ask if you have a plan to help Japan in the near future?" Naoto already knew the answer, but he was always open to being pleasantly surprised.

"No, nothing more significant than I already do through Stadtfeld Industries."

"Then I think it's rebellion for me." Now that Naoto had said it aloud and to a nominal enemy, the idea felt so much more real, the responsibility so much heavier. He missed the ball; Kallen scored. The next point they played in silence.

"More than anything," Kallen eventually began, "sakuradite is an important resource. Everyone wants it; this island is one of the few places that has it. Regaining Japan's independence is one thing, but retaining it is another entirely. This will not be a solely domestic affair for you."

"I know."

"And what happens to you after Japan is free?"

Naoto shrugged after he hit the ball across to Kallen. "It feels weird to say I'd go back to law school. I don't know. Maybe I'd finally take you up on one of your offers."

The ping pong ball flew past Kallen without her even trying to hit it.

"Kallen?"

The girl in question took a slow breath. "How half-arsed."

"What?" Naoto's eyes trailed after Kallen in puzzlement as she retrieved the ball.

"The Japanese aren't the only people suffering in the world." Kallen served the ball, and Naoto almost missed it entirely as he realised what she meant. "Maybe I'm greedy. Maybe I have too much of a royal bias in my upbringing wanting to save everyone instead of a particular group."

"Kallen…"

"But I have my own path to follow. Are you set on yours?"

Naoto considered the matter for a moment, but Kallen's admission changed nothing. His people needed help _now_ before there was nothing left of them. Theirs was a dying culture. Holidays went unobserved. Many children never learnt to read kanji. Myths and legends were lain aside for more practical concerns. The list was endless.

"I am," Naoto said.

"There's a chance, however small, that Lelouch and I will be sent to crush you."

With a smile, Naoto said, "I'll be sure to win fast enough that I won't have to face such terrifying adversaries."

"Then you have to promise me two things."

"Which are?"

"First, don't die. Don't even think about it. None of that noble sacrifice nonsense. No taking a bullet for someone less – or even more – important. If you die, I swear I will make it my life's mission to ensure this island remains Area Eleven."

While that _sounded_ like a hollow threat, Naoto chose not to call Kallen out on it. For all their faults, Britannians never made oaths lightly.

"Second, don't embarrass me. If you're going to do this, do it right. Think things through properly. Seek results, not victories. Fight for justice. Show the world your resolve."

"I can do that," Naoto promised and hoped.

"And never forget that Britannia is your enemy, not Britannians."

Affronted that Kallen would even suggest such a thing, Naoto said, "You know I would never involve civilians."

"That's not at all what I meant," Kallen said. She hit the ball one last time, knocking it out of bounds and losing the game in the process. "But never mind. It doesn't matter anymore. Since you can't be swayed, I have to call the guards to arrest you now."

"W-what?"

Kallen's aloof expression softened. "I jest," she said. "Relax."

Naoto let out the breath he'd been holding. Chuckling nervously, he said, "Your poker face is entirely too good."

Kallen smirked without a word.

"Speaking of arrests," Naoto said, "are you okay after the battle in Shinjuku?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I told you before, and you _should_ have already known, but I _literally_ only answer to Lelouch. If _he_ wants to throw me to the courts – _which he does not_ – he can. Otherwise, all responsibility for my actions falls onto him. He's also fine, of course."

"That's good."

Kallen hummed her agreement. She then said, "Hey, why don't you find Milly and ask for your coat. I'll treat you to an early dinner wherever you want."

"Alright. I'm not going to say no to free food."

* * *

Despite trying to relax with a good book in the sitting room, Lelouch's thoughts kept wandering. Naoto presented an interesting opportunity. He doubted the man would join him and Kallen, but there were other paths to cooperation than an outright alliance.

A careful word here and there, some misplaced funds, the odd secret lost – a Japanese rebellion would not be hard to ignite within Area Elven, although a successful one proved a more intriguing puzzle. Some days Lelouch entertained the idea of throwing everything away, running off with Kallen, and engaging in a straightforward rebellion à la the French Revolution. It would be in keeping with his own foreign heritage, amusingly enough.

But that would be a terribly bloody affair both during and after execution by anyone's standards. In the long run, it would be better to take over through more legitimate means.

Regardless, there were uses for a strong military force outside Britannian influence. Assuming Naoto managed to retain control, he could be reasoned with to act in the interests of _everyone_ who suffered under Britannia providing certain concessions were made, most of which Lelouch would otherwise provide for free _anyway_.

Lelouch chuckled, amused at the thought. _Trading what you would give freely for influence. A good bargain._ His thoughts were interrupted when Kallen walked into the room and collapsed onto the sofa opposite him. "You look tired," he observed.

"Spent all day running around town with Naoto," Kallen said. "I'm completely knackered."

"And how goes the rebellion?"

Kallen sighed. "They still have their leader. No surprise there."

"And he plans to take his goal seriously?"

"I made him promise to. Hopefully, he'll do well. We can quietly open some doors that would otherwise be closed to him and shut a few that would let him succeed too quickly for our own plans."

"Manipulating your own brother." Lelouch wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "I'm so proud."

"Oh, be quiet," Kallen said. "I know you were thinking of it, too."

"True enough." When Kallen stopped moving for long enough, Lelouch asked, "You're not going to make me carry you to your bed, are you?"

"Maybe," Kallen murmured.

Fortunately, Nunnally chose to burst into the room at that moment and created a lot of noise in the process.

"Lelouch, why did I just hear that you joined the mafia to save your wife from traitors!"

Kallen groaned, and Lelouch just laughed.

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace  
Government Borough, Area 11  
November 21, 2015 a.t.b.**

Within his office, Clovis kneaded his forehead as he went through all the damage Lelouch and Marrybell had done fighting with each other. He'd lost over a hundred Sutherlands, to say the least, and that alone would put a serious strain on Area Eleven's budget for years to come. It was already a nightmare running this area; the last thing he needed was a lack of funds.

Clovis sighed as he considered that this was the sort of trouble _all_ little brothers and sisters got into only on an appropriately larger scale. How could he expect anything less?

Even so, Clovis _really_ wanted to yell at those two again. If they had not had such a good excuse – and he _knew_ it was an excuse to cover up something else – for their actions, he would.

 _What was Lord Machlin thinking? Attacking a knight of honour under_ any _circumstances but pure self-defence is tantamount to assaulting a royal. There were a million reasons Kallen could have been in that ghetto, none of which she or Lelouch had to give or explain. And then he had to make it worse and actually try to detain Lelouch._

 _And then_ of course _Marrybell had to step in to mitigate the damage with Lelouch on a rampage._

And that was the other thing currently causing Clovis's headaches: the dissolution of the purist faction. They certainly refused to go quietly, but Marrybell had made a good case for the act regardless of the recent disaster they had masterminded. Area Eleven _was_ too volatile to have Britannian extremists in a position of power no matter how legitimately obtained such power was.

"Prince Clovis!"

Clovis looked up from his work to find an excited yet visibly disturbed General Bartley Asprius approaching. The heavyset man continued to wear a monocle for reasons Clovis could never guess at. Such unwieldy things they were, especially for a military man.

"What is it, General?"

"We've discovered something incredible! You won't believe it until you see it for yourself."

"Unless it's a pirate's treasure trove or a mountain made of diamonds, I really don't care right now."

"Your Highness, please, you must come see for yourself. I promise you will not regret the use of your time."

Tossing his work aside, Clovis rose at a lazy pace. "Very well. You may lead the way."

A few minutes later, Clovis found himself looking through a one-way mirror at a bound woman with wonderful, long green hair and absolutely voluptuous curves that her prison garb did its best to hide. Even her bored and decidedly unamused expression highlighted the simple elegance of her features.

Unimpressed, Clovis said, "Nine out of ten, General. I've met my share of tens, and anything less than an eleven is entirely within the realm of reality."

"Just wait, Your Highness." General Bartley pushed the button for the speaker. To the guard with the woman inside the interrogation room, he said, "Do it again."

The guard nodded. Without a word, he drew his pistol and shot the woman in the forehead.

Clovis's eyes widened in shock. "What is the meaning of this? You brought me here just to show me the wasting of a beautiful woman?"

"Just wait, Your Highness," General Bartley repeated. "We found her trying to flee Shinjuku. At first we thought she was a civilian, but she had a pistol in her possession, and our troops reacted accordingly."

Gazing at the now dead woman, Clovis did note a slight hint of French to her features. Perhaps the EU had attempted to cause trouble? While important to know, a simple report was all that had been needed.

"We captured her and brought her in for interrogation," General Bartley continued. "We gave her basic medical treatment for ballistic trauma, of course, and thought nothing more of her wounds. Not until today when we noticed they had completely healed."

This time Clovis's eyes widened in disbelief as he spun toward General Barley. "What do you mean completely healed!"

"Look."

Clovis followed General Bartley's index finger to the woman – the glowering and very much alive woman.

"But – but she…"

"Is immortal," General Bartley stated far too simply for such an impossibility.

* * *

 **A/N:** This is _not_ the end of Round One, but it _is_ the end of the Marrybell Arc.

Next up is the first half of the Siberian Campaign Arc. Naoto, Clovis, Marrybell, Suzaku, and C.C. will return in the third arc.

Also, it wouldn't be _Code Geass_ without jarring, transient genre shifts, so prepare for Stage 10.5.


	11. R1 S105 - Strange Reflections

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 10.5 - Strange Reflections

 **Britannian Army Garrison Tokyo  
Government Borough, Area 11  
November 28, 2015 a.t.b.**

"I'm curious. Is Kallen aware of your intentions toward her?"

"Possibly," Lelouch said with a shrug. "I've not explicitly said anything to her. We flirt, of course, but that's all in good fun."

Marrybell hummed into her hot chocolate as she watched the simulated duel between their Aces. Suzaku had managed to win a few bouts, but now that she had an equal frame, Kallen dominated their matches.

"Why her?" Marrybell asked. She could list several reasons herself, but Lelouch's interested her.

"Because she's the right choice," Lelouch said plainly. "Politically, she's capable of the work that would be required of her. I even feel comfortable letting her act unchecked; I've made a point to ensure she knows how to notice the subtler manipulation techniques, even if she's only adequate at delivering them herself.

"Socially, she's experienced life as a commoner, a noble, and a royal. She's an aristocrat, yet an Eleven. Britannian, yet foreign. An industrialist, yet old money.

"Personally, I deeply enjoy her company even at her most irritating. We share similar beliefs and have a firm foundation in friendship.

"Physically, I find her more than attractive enough. I think that goes without saying.

"But more than anything, she's my accomplice."

"Your accomplice?" Marrybell chuckled. "I do suppose the path to the throne won't leave either of you with clean hands. When do you plan to tell her?"

"Unless she brings it up sooner or in the unlikely event she pursues another to the point where it would be inappropriate to interfere, at her debutante ball when she officially goes on the market."

"Oh? How unexpectedly formal."

"She's the right choice, but I do want it to be her choice as well. Between her oaths to me, our plans, and our friendship, I want to put the least amount of pressure on her to say yes as possible. At such a ritualised event, it should be much easier for her to turn me down."

Marrybell mentally presented Lelouch with the 'prince most respectful to women' award. Not that he had much competition.

"Now that I've answered a personal question, might you do the same?"

Nodding, Marrybell said, "Ask anything."

"Why did you really return to Britannia?"

 _A hard question straightaway, eh?_ Marrybell idly swirled the mug in her hands. "It was no one reason. Should you wish for a succinct answer, it was because I had no one left to protect, so I chose the most flexible path to revenge."

"What about Suzaku? I'm aware that you remain close with Lady Oldrin as well. They are politically relevant and worth targeting mostly due to your survival."

"Oldrin, perhaps, but Suzaku had this mad plan to change Britannia from within by becoming the Knight of One. Without a royal patron, I might add. The prat actually had the gall to tell me to watch him die a pointless death in the military."

"Not in so many words, I imagine."

"Quite." Years after the fact, Marrybell _still_ had the urge to smack Suzaku upside the head. "Why do you _also_ get the intelligent one?" She sighed. "Anyway, one of the largest factors in my decision to return was the brutality Hawaii still suffers. My family is the casus belli behind _two_ areas. I couldn't, in good conscience, pretend to be dead and let Japan suffer the same fate."

"That does sound like a heavy burden. We never warred with the EU over my mother's death."

That brought up another question Marrybell wanted to ask. "Do you have any leads on who was _actually_ responsible for that?"

"One, but she's missing, presumed dead. Everything else only leads to more questions without answers. If you ever hear word of Sayoko Shinozaki, contact me."

Marrybell nodded and committed the name to memory. "Friend or foe?" she asked.

"Friend. I'll send you a photo later."

As Lelouch said that, Suzaku blew up. Marrybell pouted when the score changed to three to eight.

"You realise Kallen is one of the best devicers in the world. Very possibly in the top ten these days. Suzaku is performing very well."

"I know," Marrybell sighed. Suzaku would just have to practice more. "Any advice on grooming my Ace?"

"Nothing special comes to mind offhand. I don't think my efforts with Kallen would transfer well."

Marrybell sent Lelouch an enquiring gaze.

"There's no better motivator than that moment when you realise you're no longer the most gifted kid in the class, so to speak."

 _How satisfying to know he's felt that, too._ "Let me guess. Schneizel?"

Lelouch delivered a blunt and giggle worthy, "No comment." He then continued, "Kallen first came to me clever, of course, and so very _competitive_. Eventually, I started purposefully baiting her to try to outperform me in academics and skill-based games while occasionally pitting her against the Aces amongst the Rounds. Naturally, she improved by leaps and bounds but always remained 'just a little' behind."

"You are a devious monster," Marrybell said flatly to which Lelouch gave a mock bow from his seat.

"Make no mistake, however. Kallen is not and has never been someone to trifle with. Give her an opening, and she'll seize it."

Marrybell took in the look on Lelouch's face and grinned. He probably liked Kallen more than he even realised. "You love that about her, don't you?"

"I do. That girl is passion and fire given human form."

Marrybell gave a long, dramatic sigh. "I do agree your methods wouldn't work with Suzaku. Maybe when he and I first met, but he mellowed considerably after the war." Indeed, everything they had gone through both together and apart had left Suzaku so very subdued compared to his old endearingly brash self. Not wanting to dwell on that, she asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

"For reasons beyond me, the emperor wishes to take Siberia, so I shall do so for the glory of Britannia."

"And yourself," Marrybell idly commented before downing the last of her hot chocolate.

"I can hardly boast of defeating Britannia with nought but a handful of rabble. As impressive as that is, it sends the wrong message."

"I hope that won't cause you trouble with your future soldiers."

Lelouch chuckled. "Do you think so little of me? I have three royals including the one commanding the Britannian forces and a countess insisting a purist shot at my knight of honour first. And don't think I missed the 'unexpected' delay to the start of their operation in their after action report. They knew she was coming. Then they actually had the audacity to attempt to detain me while I was uninvolved at Ashford before Kallen so much as saw the Glasgow she piloted. Such greed. This round of the public relations game is set on 'for complete simpletons'. No one can reasonably suggest I had any motive but putting a prompt end to high treason and saving Kallen's life. I might get a token reprimand for the expedient means I chose, but nothing serious."

"Hmm… Win a couple battles on the right side, and I suppose few will care either way."

It also helped that the remaining purists had _lost_ , and lost not even to a foreign power but to numbers. Britannia had little love for those humiliated in battle. Between that and the nebulous charge of treason hanging over their heads, no one would hear their story. If they had any intelligence left among them, they would continue to insist it was all a misunderstanding started by an unidentified but most definitely very dead purist.

"I'll return your question now," Lelouch said. "What are your plans for the future?"

Marrybell leaned back in her chair, giving the matter some thought. Eventually, she replied, "I had intended to stabilise Japan and then move on to a new area in Europe or Africa. After a few years, I'd hoped to convince Clovis to abdicate in my favour. He hates being viceroy here. After that, who knows? The emperor might have died of old age by then before I got my chance to kill him."

"If you'd like, I could ask Cornelia to come pick you up when you turn sixteen. She wouldn't hesitate to put your talents to work."

"I suspect I'm a better peacekeeper than conqueror, but I'll strongly consider it."

* * *

Within the devicer prep room, or break room, or lounge, or wherever she was, Kallen poured herself a glass of the hardest drink available: lemonade. She took a small sip.

 _Meh. Not great, but could be worse._

After topping off her glass, Kallen poured a second for Suzaku before joining him at a table with a few snacks he'd pulled from the pantry for them.

"To a good fight," Kallen said, holding aloft her drink. "Kanpai!"

"Kanpai," Suzaku echoed somewhat awkwardly.

After scoffing half her drink, Kallen said, "Ahhhh! Refreshing! Of course, I'm sure the royals were partaking of the world's most expensive chocolate or some pretentious wine while we mere servants battled for their amusement. And now here we are dining like paupers."

"I… I'm not even sure where to begin with that statement," Suzaku said, to which Kallen returned a giggle. "I'll only observe that you challenged me and remark that I'm fluent in English."

"I'm well aware of that, Suzaku-kun, but please indulge me. The only other person I have any regular contact with who speaks Japanese is Naoto-nii."

Suzaku shifted uncomfortably and glanced around the empty room but said, "Very well, Kallen-san."

"Thank you. Anyway, business first. I have a good feel for your personal skill level now, but at some point, I'll need to see how well you work as part of a team."

"Aren't Aces usually left to fight mostly on their own?"

Kallen hummed as she searched for the right words in answer to a fundamentally important question. Lelouch had given her what felt like a thousand lectures on modern tactics, military history, and the more probable evolutionary paths of warfare, but this would be the first time she'd ever needed to explain it to someone else.

"The more knightmare technology develops, the more we fall back into the age of romantic war with great warriors directly influencing, sometimes even _deciding_ , the flow of battle. Think…" _What names would Suzaku-kun recognise…_ "King Arthur. Achilles. Uh…" _Nobunaga doesn't sound right…_ "Kenshin Himura?"

Suzaku smiled in a politely indulgent manner Kallen pointedly ignored.

"There are two primary roles an Ace fills: offensive and, unsurprisingly, counteroffensive." Kallen pointed to herself and Suzaku in turn, as those were the roles they'd taken in Shinjuku. She had set about causing chaos and inflicting as much damage as possible, and Suzaku's job had been to stop her.

"With a good grasp of tactics and proper support, the former can cause a lot of damage with minimal oversight. Typically, their job is to act as a bruiser: they hit hard, they hit fast, they don't linger, and they generally make an unignorable nuisance of themselves while the rest of the army focuses on more strategic objectives. Their support is there to pick off damaged units in their wake.

"In contrast, the latter's job is to seek out and destroy or distract troublesome enemy units while their allies peel away enemy support. Some people fall into this role because they don't work well with others." _That psychopath Bradley being the perfect example._ "Some because they don't fight as well against large groups." _Such as Lady Ernst._ "Some because they have a hard time multitasking in combat." _Nonette._ "And so on and so forth.

"All that said, I cannot possibly stress this next point enough." Kallen paused for effect. "In either role, you are more mobile than your support."

Suzaku's lips pressed into a thin line as his brows furrowed in thought. "When I came after you in Shinjuku, we were both alone."

"That battle isn't a good example," Kallen said. "You first caught me while my barely trained support network was reemerging after Marrybell-san's bombardment, and I dismissed them afterwards to avoid accidentally killing you. Marrybell-san, on the other hand, had no time to prepare one for you nor would she trust the purists not to stab you in the back."

"I don't think they would have been so…petty."

Kallen shrugged. It wasn't important right now. "Regardless, to directly answer your original question, while your _commander_ will largely leave you alone in battle, an Ace tends to be, as one might put it, rather promiscuous. In a properly organised army, you will _never_ fight alone, but your support group changes as you move. Oversimplifying it, everyone within a certain radius has the sole duty to act as your support unless directed otherwise. It's a complex tactic requiring a high degree of coordination and flexibility, but it's _devastating_ in the right hands."

"Marrybell never told me about this. Is it new?"

"Relatively, no; knightmare technology and tactics are still very young and evolving quickly. The basic concept comes from a plan Marianne-san – Lelouch's mother – called, and I quote, 'Fuck Snipers'. Lelouch refined the idea and put me to work. A year of experimentation later, the Knight of Two picked up on the idea and introduced it into the army at large to mixed results. It's very easy to lose Aces who overextend, but when it works, _it works_."

"I see… I have almost no experience outside of solo piloting."

"I assumed as much," Kallen said. "For now, I recommend you consider the path of an anti-Ace. From what I've seen, you have a very duelling oriented style."

Suzaku quirked his eyebrows. "And you don't?"

"Once upon a time, I did," Kallen said. As no one but Lelouch knew or _ever_ needed to know the true story, she elaborated with a half-truth. "My first knightmare was the Ganymede with Marianne-san as my mentor. As I eventually learnt, she earned the nickname 'the Flash' as much out of necessity as personal style. Picking extended fights in that machine _always_ resulted in death."

"You started learning that young?" Suzaku asked, eyebrows raised.

A wistful smile forced its way onto Kallen's face. "It was mostly for fun." She ran a finger along the rim of her glass as the nostalgia flooded her. "Lelouch used to tease me about how cool I considered giant fighting robots. He was completely mad, of course; they are, and always were, brilliant. Marianne always praised me when she would make time to teach me to pilot. Or how to wield a sword. She was so much fun and so giving. And…"

Kallen brushed a tear away from her eye. "Gomen," she said, realising she'd slipped into English.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Were you close to Her Majesty?"

Kallen quietly nodded. "I didn't have long with her, but…I looked up to her. In hindsight, she loved and married the emperor and had so much blood on her hands for reasons I may never know, but I considered her the most amazing woman. She was my mentor. My _first_ mentor. That's…special." Who even _had_ a proper mentor in real life? "In time, she might have even been a second mother."

Seconds ticked by as Kallen pored over her memories of Marianne. Those slowly bled into recollections of her parents and reminders of why she was _here_ and not in Britannia preparing to celebrate Lelouch's birthday with her family, the Ashfords, and the vi and li Britannias. She let out a soft sigh and pushed the thoughts from her mind as Suzaku broke the silence.

"Tohdoh-sensei never taught me knightmare piloting, but he did teach me everything I know about martial arts and swordsmanship."

"Is this the famous 'Tohdoh of Miracles'?"

"He dislikes that name, but yes. I have a…complicated relationship with him and my family."

Kallen let out a bark of laughter. "Believe me. I can handle complicated family situations. I'm not going to condemn you for anything."

"I actually live with Tohdoh-sensei most of the year," Suzaku said, Kallen assumed, to test the waters.

Knowing that Tohdoh was part of the JLF, Kallen quirked her eyebrows. "I assume your princess is aware of this."

Suzaku nodded. "She's tried to convince me to come live with her multiple times, but I'm actually useful where I am. I'm a double agent for her."

Somewhat hesitantly, Kallen commented, "You don't really seem the type for that kind of work."

"It's…not pleasant. Or honourable. I don't like betraying anyone's trust, especially Tohdoh-sensei's, but I can't justify the JLF's existence. But worse, I think he knows and trades information with Marrybell through me."

"The JLF has had years to pursue its goals," Kallen said. "Unless it's employing an elaborate ruse as it stockpiles its forces, I doubt it will accomplish anything more significant than it already has." _Namely nothing._ "If Tohdoh-san is as intelligent as I've heard, I doubt he would blame you for seeking a new path to help Japan even if he disapproves of your actual choice. Who knows? He might even be encouraging you."

"Maybe," Suzaku said softly.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are the Kururugi in this drama?"

After a few seconds of staring at his lap, Suzaku said, "We're not on speaking terms."

As nothing more was said on that topic, Kallen dropped it entirely. Instead, she focused on something else Suzaku had mentioned. "So you're a swordsman?"

"I wouldn't go that far, but I'm not completely untrained."

Kallen grinned as she placed a hand upon the hilt of the sword at her hip. "You and I are going to have to have a match after this."

Suzaku heaved a sigh and muttered something about Britannian women.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
December 4, 2015 a.t.b.**

Not long before curfew, Nina approached the student council building. Of course, student council members _had_ no curfew because the president said so, but leaving the girls hall at night remained frowned upon nonetheless. Tonight, though, Milly had demanded that they finally have their 'girls night' before Lelouch and Kallen departed for the homeland after the former's birthday party tomorrow.

Nina stowed her coat as usual. She then quickly climbed the main stairs and headed toward the sitting room where they typically gathered for these events. On the way, she encountered Milly dragging Kallen out of the study by the arm. The latter protested that she had work that needed to be finished before she could relax, but Milly paid her no mind.

For a moment, Kallen met Nina's gaze with pleading eyes. Nina dipped into a brief curtsy as was proper and whispered an apology. She knew better than to go against the president.

"Oh, Nina." The girl in question turned in place to find Euphie behind her with her hands overflowing with deserts. "Could you lend a hand please?"

Nodding, Nina grabbed the more precariously balanced food.

"Thanks. If only Milly's lackey were here to do this for us."

Nina quietly tittered as she imagined the indignant look Rivalz would have on his face if he heard that, but then sometimes the truth hurt.

"Jeremiah would have been a big help, too," Euphie lamented, "but he of course left when Milly evicted Lelouch." She sighed. "Oh well. Did you bring everything Milly asked for?"

Nodding, Nina gestured with her head toward the rucksack on her back. Among a dozen other odds and ends, she had her laptop and all the cables she needed to hook it up to a television. Milly no doubt had a few bad movies in mind for them to laugh at tonight.

In the sitting room, everyone else had already gathered. Nina arrived just in time to see Milly force Kallen onto a sofa and then command a giggling Nuuna to seat herself in Kallen's lap. That seemed to put a prompt end to that debate. Shirley, meanwhile, appeared to be struggling not to scold those two for their treatment of someone of Kallen's status while she arranged the snacks already present in the room.

Milly glanced in Nina's direction, and a smile grew on her face. "At last, everyone is finally here. Marrybell said she couldn't make it, so it'll be just be the usuals plus Kallen tonight, ladies."

A second passed. Nina blinked. Princess Marrybell had been invited? Since when did _that_ happen? No, even before that, since when did Milly know the princess? _How_ did that happen? _When_ , even?

"Lelouch mentioned he wanted to talk to her before we left," Kallen said. "They'll probably be busy all night."

That explained much, although Nina still wondered exactly when and how Milly had met Princess Marrybell over the past month.

Milly clicked her tongue. "That boy. He's keeping me from adding another royal to my collection."

Nuuna openly laughed as Kallen rolled her eyes, and Nina noticed Euphie hide a smile behind her hand. The claim and the reactions were yet more weak evidence of a theory Nina had been privately nursing for nearly two years now: the Linettes were none other than Nunnally vi Britannia and Euphemia li Britannia. Not that she ever planned to ask. If she were right, then they obviously wanted to pass unrecognised. Nina was perfectly content to feign ignorance, let them live life as they wished, and avoid the confrontation.

For Shirley, however, Milly's words proved to be the breaking point. "Come on, Prez! At least show _a little_ respect for the royals."

"You're just saying that because you think Lelouch is right fit," Milly countered with a grin.

Not wanting to get drawn into the drama, Nina silently agreed with Milly in the privacy of her own mind. It _was_ rather obvious Shirley fancied the prince. Speaking of, the girl flushed a bright red as Nina quietly excused herself to set up her laptop. When she finally finished and sat down beside Euphie, those two were still at it, one clearly enjoying herself and the other growing increasingly flustered.

Finally, Shirley sought help. "Kallen, say something! Lelouch is your liege."

A dangerous smile grew on Milly's face. The cat had found another mouse to play with. "Yes, do say something, Kallen. You have to defend your territory."

Kallen glanced up from her conversation with Nuuna. "Milly is a friend. Lelouch doesn't mind her antics. Well, not _too_ much."

And that response pleased neither Milly nor Shirley, although obviously for entirely different reasons.

"I don't think that's what Prez meant," Nuuna sang teasingly. Unfortunately, she forgot whose lap she was in, as Kallen proceeded to tickle her into submission.

"I know exactly what Milly meant, you little troublemaker," Kallen said. "What happened to you wanting to marry him, huh? I saved _all_ those chats and emails."

Between incessant giggles that Nuuna futility tried to escape, she cried, "I didn't know any better!"

Nina noticed Euphie shifting awkwardly next to her. Yet more evidence those two were Lelouch's sisters.

"Well, Kallen?" Milly asked. "Don't tell me you've never considered jumping in bed with Lelouch."

Kallen released Nuuna, who weakly rolled away on the sofa. She shrugged. "He's one of the few decent boys my age I know. Of course I've considered it. Neither of us are particularly…needy, though, so meh. We have more important things to do for now. Maybe in a few years."

"You're no fun," Milly said, pouting.

Kallen stuck her tongue out at her.

"I suppose that's bad luck for you, Shirley. Your prince isn't interested in women."

"Prez!"

Nina shook her head. This could go on all night. It had before. Admittedly, it _was_ a little amusing to observe in its own special way.

"How is your latest project going?"

Turning her attention to Euphie beside her, Nina replied, "I got scooped."

"Oh, Nina. I'm sorry."

Nina offered Euphie a small smile in thanks. "It's okay. I at least have the satisfaction of knowing I was working on something worthwhile."

"I suppose that's true."

"Besides," Nina said, "I have an idea for a new energy source involving sakuradite. It's…complicated."

Euphie hummed in interest. "If it turns out promising, you should ask Lelouch or Kallen for funding. Maybe both. I know Lelouch has his hands in some research fields, but Kallen is the captain of industry."

"Thank you for the advice." It was something to keep in mind, if nothing else. "It'll be years before I can even think of anything more than simulations, though."

With a nod of acknowledgement, Euphie changed the subject. "So which one are you rooting for?" She gestured with her head toward Shirley and Kallen.

To be perfectly honest, Nina neither had nor wanted an opinion. They were both her friends, and she wanted them both to be happy. However that worked out was fine with her.

"Um…both?"

Euphie smothered a laugh behind a hand. "Lelouch _could_ do that, but I think one woman would be trouble enough for him."

Sudden thoughts of those three in bed together doing unspeakable things assaulted Nina's mind. Kallen and Lelouch were such dominate personalities. What would happen to poor Shirley when subjected to their every lustful whim? Would she even consent to be with Kallen, too? Would either of them want that? Two beautiful girls locked together in a passionate embrace beneath the sheets–

A shiver ran through Nina as she shoved such tempting but uncouth thoughts from her mind. Blushing fiercely, she said, "That's not exactly what I meant."

Before Nina could embarrass herself further, Milly called for everyone's attention. At long last, she finally announced which movies she'd decided on to choose from tonight. All were infamous for their low quality.

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
December 4, 2015 a.t.b.**

Marrybell could hardly believe her eyes. Of all the places Lelouch could take her, he'd brought her to a seedy pub not far from the ghetto. She tugged her ragged scarf looser around her neck and pulled it up to cover more of her face. This was not a safe place for royalty to be whether in disguise or otherwise.

And yet Lelouch walked right into the pub. Marrybell reluctantly followed him. As soon as she entered, the sound of music filled the air. Someone was playing the piano, and a chorus of reprobates sang a bawdy song to the tune. An honourary Britannian stood behind the counter serving drinks, and most of the clientele were Japanese as well.

 _Bad idea, worse._

Off in a corner, a young Japanese man with brown hair waved them over. Sighing, Marrybell trailed after Lelouch to join him and whatever scoundrel he'd brought her to drink with.

After the two males greeted each other, the elder asked, "So what made you insist on slumming it tonight?" He glanced at Marrybell for a moment. "Without Kallen, too. Is Jeremiah around at least?"

"Suzaku, actually," Lelouch said. "I'm sure you remember him. He's not far away. Jeremiah is our ride home. As for why we're here, it seemed more neutral ground than Ashford."

Marrybell's bad feeling continued to grow.

The man shrugged. "What would you two like to drink?"

"Just a pint for me," Lelouch said. "I don't particularly care what variety."

Two pairs of eyes turned onto Marrybell. "The same will be fine."

After a quick trip to the bar while Lelouch and Marrybell sat down, everyone had a drink in their hands. So equipped, it was now time for introductions.

"Naoto, this is Marrybell."

Naoto's eyes widened in recognition. "Uh, Lelouch…"

Deaf to Naoto's hesitation, Lelouch said, "Marrybell, this is Kōzuki Naoto. You would recognise his birth name: Naoto Stadtfeld."

Marrybell shot to her feet and, mindful of where she was, hissed, "You brought me to meet _him_?"

"I'm not sure how I feel about this either, Your Highness."

"I don't need this," Marrybell added. "It should go without saying I'll go out of my way not to harm the vengeful countess's only brother. I know what happened to the Stadtfelds."

Before Kōzuki could respond, Lelouch said, "That was actually my hand at work," and then nonchalantly took a drink.

Marrybell thought back to the relevant dates. _That does explain the close window of time more cleanly._ "Regardless, I'm going home."

"Sit down, Marrybell."

"Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

Marrybell's eyes met Lelouch's. There was no challenge there, no command, no emotion but simple curiosity to know if she would. What was the point? If this were a test, what purpose did it serve? If not, then _just why_?

Despite herself, Marrybell retook her seat.

"Tonight," Lelouch began, "we celebrate our common victories. We mock the downfall of the purists. We find new cheer in the improved health and safety of our civilians. We pride ourselves in all being one step closer to our own goals. A toast!" He held up his mug. "A toast to which we all may drink. Fuck the emperor!"

Marrybell only realised that Lelouch had drawn the attention of much of the crowd around them when a roar of approval met his words. Mugs rose. Cans clinked. Alcohol spilled. United in it all, an echoing chorus cried, "Fuck the emperor!"

A smile forced its way onto Marrybell's face. That certainly was something she could drink to. She raised her own mug and knocked it against Lelouch's and Kōzuki's, not caring one whit how much she spilled. "Fuck the emperor!"

* * *

 **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
Nakano Ghetto, Area 11  
December 5, 2015 a.t.b.**

"Naoto!" Kaname said. "You're back."

"Course I'm back," Naoto slurred. He stumbled forward into the makeshift bedroom they shared until they could find a real flat. Kaname rushed forward to steady him. "Where else I'd be?"

"It's past midnight. You said you'd return before then."

"Nahhhh," Naoto said. "Hey, did you know Marry can really hold her liquor?"

"Who?"

"Marry." To Kaname's blank stare, Naoto continued, "Ya know. Marry…something. Girl Lelouch."

"Princess Marrybell?"

"Yeah! Her! Hell of a drinker. Such a beautiful voice 'n knows a bunch a our songs somehow. Even the smutty ones girls never touch."

Kaname sighed. "Let's get you to bed."

"What? No! I downloaded this new game for us to play." Naoto fumbled with his phone in one hand. "Tch. Can't remember what it's called."

"Bed," Kaname insisted. He dropped Naoto onto the bed in question. "You are _drunk_." If they were lucky, maybe tomorrow Naoto could remember what he actually did tonight.

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
December 5, 2015 a.t.b.**

Lelouch woke up to a splitting headache. Groaning, he pulled his sheets up over his head to block out the daylight infecting his bedroom and tried to get back to sleep, but it was no use. Frustrated, he stumbled out of bed rubbing his eyes and headed into his en suite.

"This," Lelouch said, "is a closet."

Indeed, a massive wardrobe of female clothes met his eyes. Lelouch glanced back at the bed he'd left and was pleasantly surprised to _not_ find a woman there.

 _Right then. Where am I?_ Trying to remember what he'd done last night only made Lelouch's hangover worse, but he managed to catch enough. _Oh, yes. This must be Marrybell's bedroom. Where did she sleep?_

Lelouch's hand shot up to massage his aching head, which put a prompt end to any interest he had in answering that question. Instead, he set about searching for a shower, muttering, "We live in the Future. Where's my hangover cure?" to himself.

An hour later, Lelouch found himself in the dining room with a cup of coffee and a clean pair of clothes courtesy of Suzaku. They were far too big for him, but they would do for now.

"Good morning. I see you're finally up."

Lelouch let his head lazily follow Marrybell as she sat down at the head of the table on his left. From her demeanour, last night's revelry had not troubled her in the slightest. This resulted in a well earned round of grumbled insults. Eventually, he said, "Morning. Will Suzaku be joining us?"

"No. Between you and me, he's not sure what to think about you, so his default plan seems to be to avoid you for now."

"Heh. Fair enough."

"It's more or less the welcome I first received years ago, although I suspect he would have tried to beat me up had I been male."

"Meanwhile in Britannia," Lelouch grumbled, "Kallen spent her days whacking me with a sword."

Marrybell giggled. "You fence?"

"I'm…competent," Lelouch replied. He had enough skill to defeat a novice but no more. Kallen had eventually moved on to more challenging opponents, and he had gratefully retired his sword.

"Now this I have to see."

"Not even if you could gift me the throne."

Marrybell giggled again. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks. You and Suzaku are invited to the party, if Milly hasn't already told you. It'll just be friends and family."

"She has, and we'll be there. Speaking of parties, are you going to tell me what last night was about? I feel like I went go-carting with Bowser."

A smirk grew on Lelouch's face as he said, "I believe Naoto is the plucky underdog, which would make you the villain." Naturally, he received a glare in response. Then in answer to Marrybell's question, he said, "Must I have a reason to cause chaos?"

Marrybell delivered a plain and flat, "Yes."

"Fine. I suspected you had…not so much an exploitable weakness as a cause for missed opportunities and sought to correct it. There are uses for men like Naoto."

"And my refusal to work with them is a problem," Marrybell interrupted. "Especially so when Britannia employs many such people technically loyal to it for it's dirty work. I know. I know you know I know. It's a strong preference for me, not a principle. What was your real reason?"

Lelouch clicked his tongue. It was too early in the morning and his head hurt too much for clever deception. Relenting, he said, "Consider that had you and Naoto made one or two different decisions in life, you two could very well have found yourselves in each other's position."

"Perhaps, but those were pivotal, character-defining decisions."

"And I wanted to know how you react to someone who made the choices you rejected."

Marrybell frowned, but it really was that simple.

"When I look at you, I see a reflection of the man I would have been without Kallen in my life. I doubt I would have returned to Britannia, but you're an intriguing glimpse through the mirror nonetheless. That's all."

Shrugging, Marrybell accepted that answer. "If you say so."

* * *

 **Marianne vi Britannia International Airport  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
December 6, 2015 a.t.b.**

Having said most of their goodbyes the previous night, only a few people had gathered this early in the morning to see Kallen and Lelouch off on their flight home. Milly and her endless energy had come and was busy chatting with Marrybell and Lelouch with Jeremiah watching over them. Suzaku had come as well and had asked for a word with Kallen away from the rest of the group. Curious and with no reason not to, Kallen had obliged.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Kallen asked.

"What is it like being a knight?"

"Oh ho!" Kallen said in her best impression of Milly. "So Marrybell finally popped the question, eh?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Suzaku said, blushing fiercely. "Not in either sense. She's alluded to it, though. Knighthood, that is."

"Lelouch and I are not a typical example," Kallen said more seriously. "You might be better off speaking with Jeremiah."

Suzaku shook his head. "I think my relationship with Marrybell more closely mirrors yours with Pri – er, Lelouch."

"Fair point, but I warn you that Lelouch and I are atypical nonetheless."

After nodding in understanding, Suzaku said, "Your answer?"

"For me, my knighting involved a very minor lifestyle change to achieve a political end. I have a few obligations to meet, but for the most part, Lelouch and I are equal partners. Bear in mind, however, that my background is very different from yours. I realise that you come from what was effectively Japanese aristocracy, but the culture shift is not insignificant, and the delta between you and Marrybell in the social hierarchy compared to me and Lelouch is…dramatic."

"I'm not entirely unfamiliar," Suzaku said.

"I'm sorry I'm not being more helpful. I could speak in more general terms, if you wish?"

Suzaku shrugged. "Why not?"

"Alright. First, understand that knighthood is a serious commitment. In many ways even more so than marriage. Even considering how it treats numbers, knighthood is the closest thing to institutionalised slavery in Britannia. Legally, you're still a person, of course. You can own property, sign contracts, marry, enjoy basic civil rights, et cetera. But your liege has _unparallelled_ authority over you. The trust given when reciting your oath can be abused in terrible ways. _The Tragedy of Dame Eleanor_ is less fictional than most people realise, if you've read the book."

"I haven't. Is it good?"

"Very." It was part of Britannia's literary canon, in fact, despite how poor a light it shined on the royal family. "But I warn you in advance: you will cry."

A shrug was all the response that met.

"That said, there's a reason why there are so many stories about princesses finding lovers in their knights. It happens. A lot. Typically, knighthood involves becoming one of your liege's closest confidants. In fulfilling your oath to support and protect them, you become privy to much of their private life: secrets, ambitions, troubles, indiscretions. It's very rare to find a knight and liege who would not describe themselves as at least friends, which says a lot about the working conditions.

"So in the end the question you should be asking yourself is simple. Do you trust Marrybell?"

Suzaku opened his mouth, but Kallen cut him off.

"No, I don't need an answer. You'll have to ruminate on it by yourself. You already have the strength to be a knight, so this is a purely personal matter. If you want to protect Marrybell, if you trust her with your dreams, if you want to support her wishes, then your answer will come to you if and when she asks for your undying loyalty. Nothing else matters."

Suzaku remained quiet, contemplative. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Very well. Please don't share this conversation with Marrybell."

"My lips are sealed." As parting advice as she moved to return to the others, Kallen added, "But from now on, swear someone to secrecy _first_. You're stepping into an unforgiving world, Suzaku Kururugi. Especially so for a number. Take care of yourself, and be careful."

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
December 31, 2015 a.t.b.**

"Kallen."

Kallen weakly batted her hand at the one shaking her.

"Wake up."

"Sleeping," Kallen mumbled.

"Awaken, Dame Stadtfeld. Your liege commands it."

Kallen cracked open an eye and glared at Lelouch. "What is it, Your Highness, that you would sneak into a lady's bedchamber in the dead of night?"

"We are about to commit a most grievous error."

 _Purple prose. Not important._ Kallen rolled away from Lelouch and closed her eyes.

"Oi. Don't ignore me."

Kallen sighed and rolled back. "What is it, Lelouch?"

"Every year, we gather here. Although we've danced, we yet must take a chance, and find our icy cheer."

"You're not allowed to go to Japan anymore. You've spent too much time with Clovis."

Lelouch's silent eyes dropped in accusation to Kallen's smile. She paid them no mind.

"I'm in a rare mood. Will you join me on the ice tonight, Milady?"

"It's been too warm this year. The ice is too thin."

"Remember the mountain lake where we used to swim? I took the motor sledge up there yesterday. I assure you the ice will hold our weight."

 _Oh?_ "Your sisters and Milly will feel cheated if they find out we left them out."

"They won't always be here."

Kallen paused. There was a promise buried in those words, although one too vague to pin down in precise terms.

"Step outside. I'll get changed."

* * *

It was _cold_ this high in the mountains, and the headwind from the exposed motor sledge surely must carry a biting chill, but Kallen snuggled closer behind Lelouch as they continued their ascent. She, at least, was warm.

At last, the roar of the engine came to a sudden stop. "We're here," Lelouch announced, and Kallen released him from her grasp. After stretching, she unpacked their ice skates. She handed off his and then stole the seat to put her pair on first.

"Hmm…" Lelouch leaned forward and cocked his head to the side. "You should consider a hat instead of earmuffs."

"Why?"

"You look like a hedgehog." Lelouch removed a glove, pulled out his phone, and used the camera to show Kallen her hair. The wind had pulled it out of its usual short, flat locks into random spikes.

"Hmm…" Kallen turned her head to observe from the side. "Not really fit for society. It does look a little…rebellious. I think I could make it work." Even so, she combed her fingers through her hair to straighten it. "Better?"

"Much. I'll meet you out there."

Kallen nodded and took off for the fresh ice. The shoreline was rough and uneven, but the ice smoothed out further away. An easy glide turned into a lazy figure eight. Round and round she went beneath the ocean of stars above. Hanging low on the mountainous horizon, the moon bathed the lake in a soft glow. The snow shined with a subtle sparkle in the night.

With a burst of speed, Kallen launched herself into a jump. She landed on one foot still moving, now facing the opposite direction, with her other leg and her arms extended for balance.

 _And she sticks the landing! Yep. I've still got it._

"You don't look so melancholic anymore."

Kallen turned in a wide circle to slide into place beside Lelouch. She grasped his hand when offered, and their combined momentum evened their speeds – still in the wrong direction, but that was an easily solved problem.

Affecting a mysterious air, Kallen replied, "Who knows? Maybe I'm just better at hiding it."

"That would not contradict my observation."

"True." Kallen held Lelouch's hand a little more firmly. "I like where life has brought me. Not as much as I could, but I'm happy nonetheless."

Before Lelouch could say anything in response, Kallen added, "But let's forget everything and just be two kids again tonight."

Lelouch said nothing, merely nodding.

"You know what I haven't played in forever? Shiritori."

"Which is?"

"It's a children's game. One player initially says a word, and then the next has to say a word without repetition that starts with the last kana of previous word. Repeat indefinitely. "

"I assume 'kana' means syllable?"

"Yeah…" Kallen said as she realised the crippling difficulty the language shift imposed upon the game. "How many distinct syllables does English have?"

"Thousands." Kallen could sense Lelouch smirking next to her without looking. "I earnestly anticipate an engrossing fracas with my loquacious companion's gargantuan and sporadically sesquipedalian lexicon."

"I concede."

"Ah, that feeling of such total victory that your opponent never takes the field. Exquisite."

"Git!" Kallen swatted Lelouch's arm and took off ahead of him.

"Perhaps instead of syllables, the last letter could be matched," Lelouch suggested. There _were_ only twenty-six letters in the alphabet.

"Fine. No verbs or proper nouns. I'll start. Nostalgia."

"Annex."

And so they played their children's game on into the night. Kallen knew she had little chance of winning from the outset, but it truly was nostalgic. The last time she'd played had been on a long train ride across Japan with her mother. She could barely remember it now. It'd been so very long ago. Why had they even gone on the trip? Had it been to visit family? She'd forgotten. She'd been too young. She really only had two – maybe three – years of reliable memories of her parents. How depressing.

"Orthodox."

"I concede," Kallen said, shaking off the lingering presence of gloomy thoughts. "I'm out of X words."

"This game is rather degenerate," Lelouch commented. "The only word I can think of that begins and ends with an X is a proper noun. Whoever has to provide an X word first loses."

"I _did_ say it was a children's game. I suppose Japanese is a little more balanced as a language."

"No one has ever accused English of being, in any sense of the word, organised."

Kallen chuckled. "You have no idea. Mum did her best, but try growing up stubbornly refusing anyone but your busy dad covering the near entirety of your early English education."

"No thank you on so many levels."

Kallen giggled at that surreal imagery. She would pay good money to see a picture of Lelouch on the emperor's lap learning the alphabet. "We should do this again next year."

"I see no reason not to."

"The year after, too."

"And the year after?"

"And the year after that."

"And the year after that?"

"And so on forever," Kallen said as she slid into place beside Lelouch.

"Forever, eh? I'm not sure we can call ourselves children forever."

" _That's_ what you're objecting to?" Kallen bumped her shoulder against Lelouch but let it stay there. She leaned into him and let her head rest on his own shoulder. "You prat."

Kallen's phone vibrated, and Lelouch's beeped. It seemed they'd both had the same idea.

"Happy New Year, Lelouch."

"Happy New Year, Kallen."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hmm… In hindsight, I like this chapter much more than I was expecting to when I was first writing it. I expected mild shipping and unusual character interactions, but I also got world building, short and long term plot threads, and the rare Nina POV. Brilliant.

Anyway, KaLulu is a hard ship to sail not because the feelings aren't there but because they're so subtle for two whose passions ultimately dominate their thoughts and lives. The bond of friendship, mutual respect, shared pain, and common goals blurs into romantic love so quietly, neither notices unless it's shoved in their faces (very literally, sometimes, in canon). Thank you, Cornelia.

If you're wondering what's up with Euphemia and Suzaku, they met at Lelouch's party, and that's about it.

Also, Kallen and Suzaku getting along? What madness is this?


	12. R1 S11 - Waiting for War

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 11 - Waiting for War

 **Alyeska Resort  
Girdwood, Area 2  
March 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

Lelouch stared at the board before him, carefully pondering his next move. His left flank was locked in a deadly stalemate. He could press his attack there and force a trade to explore new opportunities, but that would be a dangerous gamble against his more experienced opponent.

Lelouch turned his attention next to the right. That half of the board was largely open. He could stall for time there, but the centre of the board required attention as well. He could make an advantageous trade there over the next six moves, but he would sacrifice position in return that might cost him the game in the long run.

 _Hmm… There's nothing to be learnt in the familiar._

That decided, Lelouch pushed his man forward into danger on the left. It might ultimately result in defeat, but that was fine. There was no shame in losing. Draughts might not be an _entirely_ new game to him – Kallen had once tried to beat him at it when he'd been unversed in its basic strategies – but he freely acknowledged that he had much to learn.

Play continued. Lelouch soon found himself pressed for answers. His minor grasp of the game's intuition proved to be of little help, but he refused to go without a fight. In the end, he lost, but he nearly managed to reach a draw. Nought but a single enemy king remained on the board.

"Hmph. My mid game needs work to take advantage of king mobility later on."

"It was a well played game nonetheless, Your Highness. Your best yet. You learn frighteningly quickly."

Lelouch chuckled. "That may just be the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid me."

"Oh? I'm glad to hear my practice flattering royalty has not been idle time ill spent. It will serve me well when I retire from the military."

Another laugh escaped Lelouch. He liked this man, he decided. Baron Schutenkin Gordiengo III had a frankness and affability that belied his stern appearance. Had Marianne been born a few years earlier or him a few years later, it would have earned him a place at Aries Villa at the start of his career.

"Another game?"

Lelouch nodded. While Lord Gordiengo reset the board, Lelouch rose from his comfortable seat by the fireplace to order hot chocolate for both of them in place of the more traditional afternoon tea. He returned shortly, retook his seat, and the next game began.

"Not that I'm complaining," Lord Gordiengo said, "but what brings you all the way to an Area Two ski resort only to play draughts with an old soldier?"

A frown quickly passed over Lelouch's face before he banished it for a fond smile as his cover story came to mind. Ultimately, he'd come to wage war with the EU to make a name for himself, but the initial impetus for being here so early had come from a very unlikely source.

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
Pendragon, Britannia  
March 19, 2016 a.t.b.**

Raised from nothing during the fires of the Age of Revolution, the Imperial Palace was the beating heart of Britannia. A monumental building of unparallelled size and grandeur, it dominated the surrounding landscape as a man-made mountain of supple marble and gilded edges. It roared in defiance. It safeguarded values centuries in the making. Never again would Britannia be uprooted. Never again would such continental ideas as republicanism take root. Britannia stood tall. Britannia stood strong. This was the Imperial Palace, and from it flowed the strength of the nation.

Within these hallowed halls resided tens of thousands of people from common scullery maids to the singularly most powerful figures in the world. The unfamiliar might mistake the palace as a city unto itself if not for the surrounding metropolis that was Pendragon. Couriers rushed to deliver documents between offices, often detouring through Exelica Garden by bike or horseback to save time. The domestic staff quietly and invisibly saw to the upkeep of the palace. When the rarer courtier travelled about, the crowd subconsciously parted to make way without word or notice. Royalty passed with far greater fanfare and deference.

Prince Lelouch vi Britannia made his way through the Imperial Palace at a measured pace deep in thought. The wallpaper bowed in respect, sometimes genuine, usually feigned, but always with unacknowledged whispers in his wake. Those politicians he passed held no interest to him. Their generations long struggle to claw their way to the top baffled him. He understood their motivations well enough to use them, but he would never truly comprehend the pursuit of petty power for its own sake. These ambitious statesmen without ambition were pieces to be collected when necessary and someone else's problem when not.

Countess Kallen Stadtfeld walked at her prince's left in full uniform for the occasion as a royal knight. She recognised many faces amongst her peers on their path through the Imperial Palace. Those few friends among them she offered a nod and a soft smile. For the truly heinous who met her gaze, she plastered on a false smile to avoid a scowl. For everyone else, she maintained a polite indifference. She disliked them, but she bore them no true grudge. The baseline Britannian grew up in an environment that made moral judgement hard. Someday their character would be put to the test, but for now, they were only what Britannia had made them.

Sir Jeremiah Gottwald kept guard at his liege's right. The odds of an attack on Prince Lelouch within the Imperial Palace itself were all but zero, yet such was his duty. He traded a silent greeting with several colleagues as they passed ways, wordless messages exchanged between them. He signalled Lady Stadtfeld without disturbing his liege's thoughts, and they detoured to the right to avoid an unpleasant encounter with Princess Igraine. He would send his thanks by paying his debt forward some other day. It was no Aries Villa, but those stationed at the Imperial Palace were good people supporting the greater whole.

The trio made their way to their destination deep within the palace. An attendant directed them to a private room. There they were to await His Imperial Majesty's pleasure.

The emperor had summoned Lelouch.

It was not long, surprisingly enough, before another attendant arrived to fetch the prince alone.

 _So it's to be a private meeting…_ Despite racking his mind for answers, Lelouch had few ideas on what the emperor could wish to speak of with him. He'd not done anything of particular note recently, and the emperor had never sought him out for anything since before his mother's death.

"I'll return shortly," Lelouch said. Both of his knights shot him worried looks but were wise enough not to say a word. Not here.

Kallen placed a hand on Lelouch's arm. "I think I'll go find Nonette while we wait," she said. Her eyes added a silent command not to do anything stupid, which he returned with a confident smirk. He would be fine. "She returned from Africa this week. Cornelia mentioned souvenirs."

And with that, Lelouch soon found himself led deeper within the Imperial Palace than he'd ever been before. As they descended stairway after stairway far underground, the architectural style shifted from the stylised elegance the Imperial Palace was known for to a surprisingly simple and practical modern aesthetic built atop the foundations laid down nearly two centuries ago.

At last, Lelouch's guide came to a stop outside an unassuming doorway. After opening the door, he bowed and said, "His Majesty will be arriving momentarily. Please await him inside."

Nodding, Lelouch stepped through the door and paused in surprise at the sight that met him.

 _Is that a maglev track? Where does that tunnel go?_

Sure enough, within a minute a small carriage – for royalty – pulled into the station, for that was what this had to be. Out from it stepped the emperor himself accompanied by a young blonde boy of perhaps ten years. The boy immediately scowled at Lelouch upon seeing him.

Lelouch's eyes swept over the child, quickly noting the usual tells of the royal family from the lithe build to the piercing violet eyes. Few royals could claim the acquaintance of even a quarter of their family, but all eventually recognised each other on sight.

This half-brother or nephew was someone new, someone hidden.

Lelouch steeled himself and bowed to the emperor as the boy walked past him and out the door without a word. "You summoned me, Your Majesty?"

"Walk with me," the emperor merely said.

Nodding, Lelouch fell into step beside the emperor. Together, they walked through the empty halls of perhaps the lowest level of the palace to some unspoken destination.

The emperor broke the silence. "Have you heard the legend of Faust?"

 _What?_ After a moment spent futilely trying to understand where that question had come from, Lelouch said, "Do you mean the Marlowe version?"

"The early Germanic versions come closest to true history. A man forms a contact with a witch for power in exchange for granting her one wish. When he proves unfit to bear this power, the witch abandons him and condemns him to his fate, a tragedy of his own making through his blindness and arrogance. Pathetic."

Lelouch still had no idea what he was supposed to take away from that, so he kept quiet and let the emperor continue in his own time.

"Other versions insist that the witch betrayed the man. Some say she intentionally set him up to fall. Some claim she murdered his wife to drive him to despair. The deplorably romantic would suggest the witch possessed unrequited affections. On occasion, the ending is undeservedly happy. Always, however, it is the man's fault for ignoring the warning signs of his oncoming demise."

 _Right…_

"I have a task for you, my son."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected familial reference yet replied, "I am at your disposal, Father." Perhaps this was to be considered the allegorical deal with the devil? It seemed unlikely.

"You are to depart at your leisure within the week for Anchorage in Area Two on a skiing trip."

Knowing that it was a cover story for some darker task, Lelouch said, "That is very out of character for me."

The emperor snorted. "Sit down with a hot drink, a book, and watch your woman enjoy herself on her birthday with a smile. The ruse never failed with your mother."

"Uh-huh…" Lelouch could find no other words. That _was not_ the response he'd expected from the emperor, especially so as it implied the man had bothered to learn Kallen's birthday. And…was that tacit consent to court her? _Preemptive_ consent? How much scrutiny was he under? Why? Since when?

Heedless to Lelouch's racing thoughts and mounting questions, the emperor continued, "Russia will invade Area Two at the beginning of April without the support or approval of the EU. You are to take command. Repel them. Follow them. Crush them. After you establish a foothold in Siberia and Laertes arrives with our own invasion force, you may do as you wish. I trust you shall make full use of this opportunity."

With the suggestive tone of those last few words, some of this conversation finally made sense. In the back of his mind, Lelouch made a note to thank Lord Manfredi for having a word with the emperor on his behalf.

"With pleasure," Lelouch replied.

The emperor grunted in approval. "Your mother told me she would feel privileged to someday serve under your command. Do not make her a liar."

Through the shock, Lelouch recognised the considerable compliment for what it was. His mother was not prone to exaggeration, and those not actively trying to bury her memory still likened her to the legendary Queen Boudicca herself. He'd not imagined she'd thought so highly of him at so young an age.

Before the words had fully worked through Lelouch, the emperor summoned an attendant from seemingly nowhere to escort him back to the surface. Although surprised at the abrupt dismissal, he made no protest to linger in the emperor's presence. The man's very existence was stifling. Lelouch may not actively despise him as Marrybell did, but his company was no more agreeable for it.

As soon as Lelouch returned above ground, reunited with Jeremiah, and was otherwise left alone, he pulled out his phone. Word for word as closely as he could remember, he wrote down everything about his audience with the emperor from his encounter with the blonde boy to his ultimate departure. It was the obvious thing to do after partaking in a mysterious conversation, and mysterious it had been. Not considering that first part – which he remained utterly clueless on – he hadn't felt this way in years. Something he believed was _wrong_ – terribly, distressingly wrong.

The emperor was infamous for his brutal, unfiltered honesty at even the most inappropriate of times. Indeed, nothing the man had said but minutes ago had broken that pattern. Too little had been said for lies, yet _too much_ had been conveyed to fit the usual pattern. He'd even been, Lelouch dared to think, sentimental.

A shudder ran through Lelouch as he fought off the cognitive dissonance. The emperor was the kind of person who would set his own daughter up to die just to start a war. There was _nothing_ fatherly about him.

 _What makes a man like the emperor deviate from sixteen years of apathy to my existence? Just being useful isn't enough. I've been known to be competent for well over a year now._ A strange thought occurred, but Lelouch quickly dismissed it. _He wouldn't wait for me to be an adult to make use of me; he cares nothing for age, only ability._ Proof of that was easy to come by; Kallen had received her invitation to the Rounds at fourteen.

Lelouch frowned as he recalled the emperor's equally unexpected attendance at Kallen's knighting. There were many parallels between her and his mother. As much as it galled him to admit it, he had the same taste in women as his father. Were it anyone else, he might suspect otherwise, but the emperor would be the absolute last person to live vicariously through him.

 _No, as amusing as it would be for the emperor to succumb to the usual afflictions and nostalgias of old age, he's not that old yet nor so inclined. Someone or something else is at work here._ Lelouch hummed, annoyed. _The only person with the influence and motive to make him act almost like a father is Mum, but the dead don't suddenly affect the living._

 _Perhaps…_ It felt wrong, but the idea fit. _Is he honouring some promise to her?_ In hindsight, Lelouch did remember Marianne remarking on how 'cute' he and Kallen had looked together, and Kallen _was_ about to reach marriageable age. _But would he do that? Does her mere memory still have so much power over him? Is that possible?_

It really, truly felt wrong, but it was the only explanation Lelouch could think of that fit all the facts. It was _far_ too late for the emperor to even dream of exerting parental influence over him to whatever end. The man _had_ to know that.

 _And what about that boy?_ Lelouch tore through his memories of his numerous brothers, sisters, and stepmothers for an elusive match. _Who is he? I can't imagine our encounter was anything but engineered, but to what end?_

Cursing his lack of information, Lelouch shoved his concerns to the back of his mind for now. He would give the matter more thought later.

* * *

 **Alyeska Resort  
Girdwood, Area 2  
March 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

What brought Lelouch to Area Two? A knowing smirk worked its way across the prince's face.

"What reason is it ever for men like us?" Lelouch said with a distinct note of levity in his tone. "I'm here either to take over the world or for a woman."

Lord Gordiengo laughed. "So a woman, you say?"

Lelouch shrugged with a mysterious smirk on his face. "You know of my knight, Countess Stadtfeld?"

"I do. You two caused quite the sensation within the ranks considering your ages."

That came as no surprise. Outside of Pendragon, few people _knew_ exactly how substantiated the rumours about Lelouch and Kallen actually were. Not yet, that was.

"Had I waited any longer, she might have run off to join the Knights of the Round." With mock worry, Lelouch added, "If I don't keep her happy, she just might anyway."

"Ha! Is she that good or are you that lovestruck?"

Lelouch snorted. "Kallen is a force multiplier."

"That's very high praise. I hope to have the opportunity to see her in action for myself someday."

Lelouch resisted the urge to indulge in his fondness for dramatic irony.

After ruminating on his next move in their game, Lord Gordiengo said, "I take it you're not much for skiing, then?"

"No, I prefer the more cerebral joys in life. You?"

"My knees sadly no longer permit me to indulge outside of a knightmare, but my wife yet enjoys the rush."

Lelouch laughed at the irony. "For a woman, eh?"

Lord Gordiengo traded smiles with Lelouch. With that out of the way, Lelouch had a perfect opening to ask after what had originally motivated him to sit down and start up a conversation.

"So skis on knightmares?"

"Hmm, yes," Lord Gordiengo said as he considered his next move in their game. "Winter campaigns are a miserable experience by anyone's standards, and the snow is even worse on knightmares than on regular infantry."

"Really? I fear my knowledge of cold-weather warfare barely extends to a thrice underlined 'don't'."

"Healthy advice. The cold saps the strength of even the toughest and most disciplined of men. Mobility is heavily reduced. If the ice isn't thick enough, rivers become impassable terrain. Vehicles have no traction. The night never ends. Technological staples of the southern climes love to freeze and fail. Even the great thaw in spring almost makes conditions worse. The best advice anyone can give is to stay inside and let the enemy come to you whenever possible."

"Is that coming from personal experience?"

A sad, affirmative hum escaped Lord Gordiengo. "I've lost one or two friends to the cold, and a great many more have suffered frostbite or worse. Let me tell you about the EU's incursion into Area Four just after your father rose to the throne."

As Lord Gordiengo began his story, Lelouch relaxed and silently took note of the common errors and pitfalls to avoid. Many he knew of at least in passing. Some he did not. While he doubted the coming invasion of Russia would last into the winter, such assumptions had gotten more than one person killed and lost more than one war. The Russian Winter had proven over and over again throughout history to be almost more dangerous than the Russians themselves. It would serve him ill not to be properly prepared.

* * *

Even though he had spent much of his time learning, devising strategies, and otherwise preparing to prosecute a war against Russia, Lelouch freely admitted he was enjoying this miniature holiday. Perhaps not as much as Kallen, for whom maintaining their cover literally meant enjoying herself in whatever way struck her fancy, but then it _was_ her birthday approaching. As far as he was concerned, she could do whatever she wanted.

"I'll see your knaves and raise you deuces!"

They were playing a team, trick-taking game with a name Lelouch had trouble pronouncing – or so Kallen claimed; he swore he'd repeated it exactly as she'd said it. Regardless, she'd unearthed the game from across the Pacific. It reminded him somewhat of Chinese poker and hearts blended together into a surprisingly intriguing game of strategy.

"Those are my Jacks, you know," Kallen protested to her partner.

Nonette Enneagram, the Knight of Nine, perhaps the world's greatest sniper, and one of Cornelia's closest friends, smirked. "I'm aware."

Officially, Nonette was here as Cornelia's proxy to release Kallen's inheritance in full to her on the twenty-ninth. Unofficially, Nonette was a friend of the family here to celebrate. Secretly, she was here to smooth over Lelouch's assumption of power over the military when Russia invaded. In truth, she had leapt at any excuse to shirk her responsibilities entirely for two or three weeks.

Lelouch's partner paused to consider the current state of the game. It was his turn to play or pass. There were considerable advantages to emptying one's hand first. Nonette was low on cards – six remained, Lelouch thought. Kallen had 'plenty', which looked to be around twenty. Whoever took a trick got to lead the next one.

"I'll play four tens," Jeremiah said, laying down nearly half of the remaining points available this round.

Lelouch mentally sighed and wished table talk was allowed. The girls, damn them, knew each other's play styles too well. From what he'd heard, they'd played dozens of iterations of this game together against Cornelia and Euphemia over the years.

"Four kings," Kallen said, and there they were. Almost all of the remaining point cards sat on the pile.

With a resigned sigh, Lelouch said, "Pass." And of course–

"Five long straight flush." That included the last ten.

Three passes came in rapid succession. Nonette took the trick and led the next one.

"A three" – the lowest bloody singleton and weakest hand possible, to add insult to injury – "and I'm out!"

Kallen and Nonette high-fived each other across the table. They traded smug smirks as they were at it.

"Hook," Kallen began.

"Line," Nonette continued.

In unison, they finished, "And sinker."

And with that, those two had taken _all_ of the cards worth points this round, so there was no point playing out the rest of it. Lelouch tossed his hand into the pile of used cards for them to shuffle.

"One more round like that, boys," Kallen said as she updated the score sheet, "and we win. You better get your act together."

 _I need Marrybell. She and I could put these insufferable women in their place with a bit of practice._

Jeremiah frowned across the table. Taking pity on his knight, Lelouch said, "To be fair, it wasn't a bad gamble. Nonette often bluffs when she's low on cards but has the lead."

Before any more could be said, a knock came at the door to their room. It opened shortly after, and their guest came to join them in the sitting room with quiet haste.

"Your Highness," Shinobu Shinozaki said as she fell to one knee in reverence. "I come bearing troubling news."

Rising, Lelouch excused himself and left the room with Shinobu for a private word. While Nonette's first loyalties _probably_ lay with Cornelia – and by extension himself – despite being a member of the Rounds, there was no need to test that.

Once alone, Lelouch said, "Report."

"Hai. The agent we inserted into Lord Naoto's group missed his regular check in, and we've been unable to contact him. We dispatched another operative to observe the situation and concluded that there should be no reason for delay. We assume that our agent's identity has been exposed and him taken into custody."

Although he'd expected it, Lelouch still paused when he heard Shinobu's conclusion. "That shouldn't be possible." The Shinozaki were not nearly so unskilled in espionage for an untrained group like Naoto's to uncover one of them even on a bad day. And even if that _had_ happened, they then had permission to reveal their employer to Naoto. He might be upset, but he would have no reason to take drastic action. He would either call to confirm or release his prisoner. As he had done neither, it followed that he was unaware of the situation.

 _This is indeed troubling. Someone must have recognised our informant, which implies not only a personal connection to the Shinozaki but a great need to go unrecognised in return. The former are already rare enough after the war. Perhaps it's someone we believe deceased?_

"Do we have permission to investigate more closely?" Shinobu asked.

Lelouch considered the matter. On the one hand, doing so might reveal that he kept watch over Naoto, however benignly. If that happened, it would be harder to continue in the future. But on the other hand, there was someone with an unknown motivation and highly suspect connections near Naoto. No one who knew the Shinozaki should have any reason to hide from them; they _thoroughly_ destroyed both enemies and marks.

 _I can't rush to Naoto's rescue every time he falls in danger or I might as well join the rebellion. Still…_

"You may," Lelouch said, "but don't use your own people for this if you can avoid it. Whoever is involved obviously knows who you are. Recover your agent if needed." And possible.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Shinobu said with a shallow bow. She then withdrew a folder from a hidden pocket on her pants. Even having witnessed the act firsthand, Lelouch found himself wondering where exactly the ninja had kept it. "We also have the report you requested on Russia."

"Oh? Excellent." Lelouch had a plan in mind for the coming war that only the mad and the truly inspired could conceive of. Now he could determine how feasible it would actually prove to be.

"If there's nothing else…"

Leafing through the documents in his hands, Lelouch said, "Pass on my gratitude to your uncle for the good work."

"Very well, Your Highness. As always, he sends his appreciation for your continued patronage."

Lelouch snorted and glanced up. "As if I'd ever refuse the services of an entire clan of ninja."

With that, they parted ways. Lelouch returned to the sitting room, skimming through the documents Shinobu had given him.

"Oi!" Nonette said. "No work at the table."

Sighing softly, Lelouch set aside his folder. He picked up the hand he'd been dealt and set about sorting it. It could be better, but it could be much, much worse.

"I swear, you're as bad as Cornelia."

"You should see him when he's trying to discreetly catch up on sleep."

"Kallen," Lelouch growled in warning. It unfortunately only drew a laugh from her.

"He's mastered the art of sleeping upright while looking like he's deep in thought. I have no idea how he does it."

Unhelpfully, Jeremiah added, "It _is_ a rather remarkable skill."

"Damn. You must take after Cornelia. She did the same bloody thing at the Royal Military Academy during class. Made everyone jealous."

Lelouch blinked. " _Cornelia_? My sister, Cornelia?"

Jeremiah faked a cough. "Her Highness was an exceptional student in all regards."

"Oh, please. She was an honours student, not a model student. She spent most of her nights running around with Marianne and slept through lessons."

"What?" Lelouch glanced at Kallen who looked just as confused. This was not some secret shared only amongst women, then.

"Did Cornelia really never tell you either of you about this?" Nonette asked.

Lelouch and Kallen both shook their heads.

"Oh, the stories I could share. She _hated_ Marianne at first, but Marianne was having none of that." Nonette chuckled to herself but did not elaborate.

"You _cannot_ stop there," Kallen protested. "I want to hear about Cornelia's delinquency."

Nonette snorted, snickering, as Jeremiah said, "From what I heard, Empress Marianne recruited Her Highness for extracurricular activities in place of regular training."

"I prefer how Kallen put it," Nonette said. "Imagine the look on her face. Brilliant!" After reining in her amusement, she continued, "Tell you what, I'll trade you two. Tell me how you managed to get bloody ninja working for you, and then I'll tell you _all_ about Cornelia's academy days."

Kallen turned to Lelouch with an unnecessary plea in her eyes; he wanted to hear this just as much as her. With a shrug, he said, "There's not much of a story to tell. Mum earned the Shinozaki's favour, and I promised them a future. There's nothing more to it."

"Marianne did? How?"

"I asked once and was told it was 'a private matter that she would not wish spoken of'. I do know it happened when she was…" Lelouch paused, considering his word choice. Marianne's life before Ruben picked her up was not well known.

Nonette, however, had apparently been taken into confidence, as she said, "Living on the streets?" If that surprised Jeremiah, he hid it well.

"Exactly so. I'm afraid I don't know any more than that."

"Boring," Nonette complained. Nonetheless, a grin lit up her face right after. "Okay, how would you two like to hear about how Cornelia ended up entirely covered in peanut butter?"

"What?"

"How on Earth did that happen?"

"For the record," Jeremiah said, "if Her Highness asks, I passionately objected to this story being told."

"Uh-huh," Kallen said. She turned back to Nonette. "As you were saying?"

"Well…"

* * *

 **Alyeska Resort  
Girdwood, Area 2  
March 28, 2016 a.t.b.**

"A blizzard," Kallen muttered. "Of course there's a blizzard today. Why bloody not? It better abate by tomorrow."

Kallen shed her coat and skis, stored the latter away, and then trudged through the resort with white specks of snow still dotting her hair. She needed a warm shower, or hot cocoa, or a fireplace, or something – anything to shake the chill from her bones.

Up the lift and down the hall, Kallen entered her room. In the sitting room, she noticed Lelouch frowning intently at his laptop. It was the same expression he always showed the world when he was having trouble understanding something. Curious, Kallen postponed her shower to talk to him.

"Welcome back," Lelouch said distractedly. "You're early."

"Blizzard," Kallen explained. Lelouch gave her a silent nod, and she then asked, "So what's troubling you?"

"A few things." Lelouch finally glanced up. "You look cold."

With a shrug, Kallen said, "I'll thaw. So what's up?"

"Hmm… Russia's behaviour is strange. I don't understand its purpose in starting a solo war against us."

And Lelouch did ever so hate not understanding his opponents. It made them harder to predict and manipulate.

"They could just be trying to force the whole EU into a war," Kallen offered.

"Perhaps," Lelouch said doubtfully. "I've not heard anything to suggest that, however. The populace is largely unconcerned with Cornelia's campaign in Africa and only mildly troubled with Britannian imperialism. It would be an unpopular move both at home and abroad. That said, Russia is not historically known to be terribly responsive to its people's desires even after their revolution."

"Well, Russia, at least, _is_ gearing up for war, right?"

A frustrated hum was the first answer Lelouch gave. He then added, "It's hard to tell. Assuming the emperor's information was correct, they obviously want it to be a surprise attack. That would limit their immediately available forces, however. Even if they manage to knock us out of the area, we're too close to the homeland for them to hold it."

"Just putting it out there," Kallen said, "but have you considered that the emperor might stage an attack to justify a war?"

"I have, and I have a plan for that, but Schneizel was the one unofficially tasked with obtaining Siberia, and that's not his style. He certainly won't hesitate to wage war when it comes, but he prefers to conquer with diplomacy and claim the moral high ground while someone else comes in with the whip to teach the slaves their place." Lelouch muttered something that Kallen _knew_ to be an insult directed at his brother.

"We're monsters, Schneizel is a hypocrite, and you've still not beaten him at chess. What else is new?"

Lelouch's eyebrow twitched, but he let the jest pass without comment. "There's your brother's recent activities."

"Oh?" Kallen tried not to let her worry creep into her voice. She'd let him follow his own path knowing he would get himself into trouble again. "Did Shinobu get back to you on the investigation?"

"Not exactly. The Shinozaki have no idea where their agent is or who was responsible for his disappearance. That's worrying enough on its own."

Kallen silently agreed, but she at least had the comfort of knowing that Naoto was still free and unharmed. "What's changed, then?"

"All signs point to him preparing to engage in his first proper operation without us, but the target…"

Lelouch hit a few keys and spun his laptop around. The screen showed the top page of a dossier on a crown sponsored medical research facility. Although somewhat vague, its mission statement suggested an interest in regenerative medicine.

Kallen quirked an eyebrow.

"I know," Lelouch said. "I called Marrybell, and she looked into it for me." He tabbed over to another file. "This is what she uncovered."

After skimming through the document, Kallen said, "Chemical weapons? That breaks more treaties than even your old man would dare."

"Compounded with the fact that the company _has_ turned out an impressive medical discovery in _less than a month_ , and you have to ask yourself one question: for what do you use chemical weapons as your cover story?"

 _Oh, Naoto, what have you gotten yourself involved in?_ Kallen sighed. "Who's sponsoring this research? Clovis or someone higher?"

"Only Clovis. The Shinozaki have uncovered a few ties to the local military, but no one else appears to be involved."

 _Well, that's something. Clovis will want to keep whatever he's up to in-house. That should keep the OSI from coming down on Naoto._

"Your thoughts?" Lelouch asked.

"Well… Normally I'd be interested enough to suggest we pursue this, but we're busy, I'm biased, and it's Clovis. For all we know, that mind of his might justify hiding a harem of slaves and a gallery of stolen art behind war crimes and a lucky discovery."

Lelouch snorted, unable to suppress his amusement. "He's not _that_ bad."

"But it wouldn't surprise you," Kallen insisted.

"No, it would not. But I _am_ very curious. I'll put Marrybell in contact with the Shinozaki and let her follow up. I'm sure she, too, is intrigued enough to have already started making enquiries."

"So what do you think Clovis is hiding?"

"I would guess human experimentation," Lelouch said, "but I don't see where his sudden interest would have come from, and Naoto would only have cause to involve his people in such a high-risk venture so soon if _a lot_ of Japanese were involved. Otherwise, he should just inform Marrybell and let her deal with it."

A thought clicked into place in Kallen's mind, and she slapped a hand to her forehead. _I'm so blind._ " _That's_ why you took them out drinking together, isn't it?"

"I may have told Marrybell a few half-truths when she asked why. I got them past the initial awkwardness, but the onus is on Naoto and Marrybell to work out the rest. She genuinely cares about the Japanese and can provide legitimate aid in the right situation; if he can internalise that enough to act on it, he'll be easier to work with later on. Should help Marrybell curb that reflex hated, too. That, and keep Naoto out of unnecessary trouble."

Lelouch sighed and massaged his temples. "Playing father is frustrating. If we adopt another problem child, they're your responsibility."

"Hai, anata," Kallen said, snickering.

"I understood that quip. Now unless me trouble wants to have her laugh, I have a few manfreds to share rather than be on me tod."

Kallen blinked.

"Go take a warm bath if you want. I have a few ideas to bounce off of you after."

"Right…" Kallen left to gather fresh clothes from her bedroom. A moment after she left, she stopped. Her curiosity compelled her to return. "When did you–"

"Mum lived on the streets for half her life," Lelouch said. "She only got her dialect fully under control a few years before you arrived. It _really_ didn't help her make friends."

"Ah. Does Nunnally–"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask."

Lelouch levelled a glare at Kallen.

"Fine, fine. I'm going to soak for a while. I'll be back in an hour or so."

* * *

 _A sudden blizzard?_

Jeremiah pushed aside the memory of the last blizzard he'd witnessed firsthand and turned his gaze away from the resort's cafe's window. Gloomy thoughts were not well contemplated on gloomy days. Besides, he had the pleasure of better company than himself.

"Wait, hang on," Lady Enneagram said. "I remember someone streaking across the rugby field. That was you, wasn't it?"

"I assure you it was not. That was George… Hmm, his surname escapes me. Regardless, I understand the mistake. He did bear a striking resemblance to myself from a distance."

"Oh! Then you were the one who flirted with Empress Amelia!"

"Not one of my finer moments," Jeremiah admitted with a chuckle. "In my defence, the emperor officially had more wives at that point than I had relatives, and I still can't recite my entire family tree. I genuinely didn't know who she was, and she decided to have her fun with me until Professor Everly cried scandal and dragged me away for punishment."

" _Him_?" Lady Enneagram said, aghast. "I'm surprised he didn't cast you out of the academy for impropriety."

Jeremiah snorted. "He certainly tried. I ended up–" His phone vibrated. "Ah, excuse me one moment."

Withdrawing his phone from his pocket, Jeremiah frowned when he saw who had sent him a message. Les Maradi was an acquaintance of his stationed in Military District B, one of the more likely points of invasion in Area Two given its excellent accessibility to warships. After reading through the text, he immediately sent one off to his prince.

"We need to go," Jeremiah said. "Russia is early."

* * *

 **A/N:** The Siberia Arc will be split in two. This half will follow Lelouch and Kallen, and the second half will mostly follow Leila. In between, we'll head over to Japan for an arc with Naoto and Marrybell.

Now I'm just going to put this out there. I hate _Akito the Exiled_. I powered through it a couple months ago to learn more about canon's EU and had a miserable time. Disregarding everything in it pertaining to geass, it has some good ideas, but the implementation is just a mess. Expect to see some familiar names with roughly familiar characters and motivations ( _if_ you've watched the interquel), but this story will be unapologetically AU as far as _Akito_ is concerned.

Before accusations are made, Shinobu _is not_ a replacement for Sayoko (nor the woman herself in disguise). That said, they _are_ first cousins.

Lastly, if you're wondering who Schutenkin Gordiengo III is, he was presented on paper to Euphemia in canon as a candidate for her knight who, coincidentally, was listed as a soldier in Area 2. With a name like that, how could anyone resist? Les Maradi falls into the same category.

P.S. Area 2 ≈ Alaska, Area 4 ≈ Greenland


	13. R1 S12 - A Good Start

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 12 - A Good Start

 **Alyeska Resort  
Girdwood, Area 2  
March 28, 2016 a.t.b.**

 _Odds of a blizzard today: one in ten. Odds of Russia picking today slash tomorrow to invade without outside influence…_ Kallen briefly pondered how to model that. _Probably a standard deviation away from the mean of a normal curve, so one in six._

Kallen stared out the window at the fierce blizzard that had conjured itself from the aether. The roads would be covered in patches of ice by now. Even if not, between the absurdly low visibility and high winds, trying to drive would be a death sentence. A helicopter would get them where they needed to go, but they had to wait for one to arrive. A lot could happen in the wasted hours.

 _If Britannia is responsible for this invasion or its timetable, odds of_ at least _one person between the emperor and the actual instigators hating Lelouch and me: one in one._ Perhaps that was a little pessimistic, but still. _Odds said person knows we're in the area: one in three, and that's being generous to coincidence._

Kallen had never trusted coincidence. Russia's invasion beginning earlier than expected while she and Lelouch were stuck in a blizzard triggered numerous red flags in her mind.

 _This won't stop us. It just slows us down. It feels like a petty 'fuck you' with plausible deniability._

Even so, with roughly sixty to one odds against pure coincidence, Kallen assumed the timing was malicious. Or at least she gave it better than even odds. It _was_ , however, debatable whether it was meant to spoil her birthday or if the blizzard was meant to delay them.

With a dismissive snort, Kallen turned away from the window to finish packing. This kind of obstructionism was neither new nor unexpected. Lelouch and Nonette were currently arranging for his assumption of command anyway, so very little harm was done.

 _Now where did I leave my dagger? It wasn't with my sword…_

* * *

 **The Sky  
Military District B, Area 2  
March 29, 2016 a.t.b.**

Flying through a whiteout, Kallen decided, was one of the most uniquely terrifying experiences life had to offer. As somewhat of a connoisseur of frightful situations, she should know. She'd evaded knightmares, dispatched assassins, dodged abductors, endured the wilderness, fought beside rebels, trounced thugs, and met the emperor. Unifying each experience was the ability to _act_ , to _see_ the situation change as she did.

A helicopter flight through a severe blizzard did not offer that. There was nothing but the white void. For all Kallen knew, they were stuck in place in the air. Only the heavy turbulence assured her that they were, in fact, moving, although she could not say where to or even in which way. It was good they had an experienced pilot, or else a mountain might sneak up on them and ruin their day.

Kallen clicked her tongue shortly into their flight when she noticed condensation building up on her scabbard. She set aside the book she'd been rereading and dried the crossguard with her handkerchief but made a mental note to not rely on her rapier. If the ice did not freeze it in place, the cold metal might just freeze her hand instead. She frowned when she noticed her parrying dagger in a similar state. That, however, she could at least tuck under her coat to keep available.

 _I hope it's warm where we're going._

After more than an hour of nothing but snow, the storm slowly diminished until it became nothing more than a bad memory. They could finally see again, and having done so, they turned their course southwest toward the Pacific. In an hour or two, they would rendezvous with the local navy – such as it was; Britannia had not been known for its fleets since Trafalgar – and then go from there.

"We have a stable signal with the flotilla again, Your Highness."

Lelouch perked up from studying the early reports he'd received when they'd had a wired connection at the resort. "Are they under fire?"

A moment for the question to be relayed, and then, "No, Sir."

"Then connect me to the commodore, Seaman."

Half a minute later, a new voice came over the radio. "This is Commodore Joseph Porter."

"This is Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. I have with me the Knight of Nine, Lady Enneagram. We're en route to your position now as planned, unless you've been forced to move since last contact."

"We have not, Your Highness. It's my shame, however, to inform you that the Russians have since managed to establish a beachhead."

Kallen noticed Lelouch smirk as they heard that, and she shared the sentiment. The more resources Russia committed to a land invasion, the easier it would be to cripple their fleet. It was unintentional but much needed aid. Strategy and tactics held little sway in modern naval battles; whoever had better tech and more guns, missiles, and fighters won, and Britannia's collection was not impressive.

Of course, this would also be the first time in a century for marines to be properly involved in the fighting. With how effective knightmares had proven on land against conventional weapons, who knew how well they would perform at sea?

"You're to hold position until our arrival," Lelouch said. "How many Portmans" – the lovely new marine knightmare – "do we have at our disposal?"

A moment passed, and then the commodore replied, "At last count, one-hundred-twelve."

"So about a company's worth," Lelouch idly said. He turned to Kallen and asked, "How quickly can you get their devicers properly trained?"

At her best guess, Kallen said, "A day _should_ get us a win, but it really depends on who I have to work with. Portmans have barely been taken out of the box, so I'll probably get unshaped clay to mold with no bad habits, but that also means huge info dumps. I'd feel more confident if you gave me a week to get them into the right frame of mind. There's a certain degree of experimentalism in the tactics as well…"

But both Kallen and Lelouch knew a week was far too much to ask for. There was only so much they could do with the constraints the world had given them.

Over the radio, Lelouch said, "Commodore, when we arrive, gather the devicers for your Portmans and prepare what simulators you have available. Inform them that my knight, Lady Stadtfeld, and Lady Enneagram will be ensuring they're prepared for the coming battle."

"It shall be done, Your Highness."

"Good. Send me your ships' current locations, what we know of the enemy's position, and an appropriate map. I need ship, sub, and mine placements to the best of our knowledge. I'll present a battle plan to you when we arrive."

And with that, the conversation was done. Orders had been given and were being carried out. Lelouch waited for the information he'd requested, Kallen went back to reading, and that was that.

"Just so we're clear," Lelouch said sometime later, "you two _will not_ be piloting knightmares you're barely familiar with in an environment you've never physically practised in."

Nonette laughed. "No problem. The emperor would have your head if you sent me anyway."

Glancing up from her book, Kallen added, "Marianne would come back from the dead just to lecture me."

* * *

 **HMS** _ **Dauntless  
**_ **Pacific Ocean  
March 29, 2016 a.t.b.**

Kallen sat cross-legged atop the large cargo box she'd commandeered. From it, she surveyed the crowd of devicers gathered before her. There were more of them than there were Portmans, but not by much. It was a small talent pool to work with, but she had more than enough practice putting troops through the sieve to sort the exceptional from the average.

 _Hmm… Roughly four males for every female. About right. Average age somewhere between twenty and thirty, so probably not unblooded for the most part._ Kallen frowned slightly. _Lots of tall, muscular people. Not ideal. That'll burn up oxygen faster underwater, but it should be fine. The tanks should outlast the energy fillers. No obvious interpersonal problems to look out for when creating…_

With a sigh, Kallen rose to her feet. "Oi!" That got the crowd's attention. Then pointing in sequence, she said, "You, you, you, and you. Come talk to me up on deck. You know who you are. Everyone else, wait here."

As Kallen hopped down from one crate to another to the floor, Nonette said, "Be gentle, and do try not to be a hypocrite."

"Yeah, yeah," Kallen tossed back. "You just stay here and keep 'supervising'," which was the word Nonette used for 'shirking responsibility'.

* * *

Marika Soresi knew exactly why she and her friends had been called out. It was obvious, really, and nothing new. But talent was respected in Britannia far above all other considerations. She mentally rehearsed the same arguments that had managed to get her here in the first place. They had worked several times before. They would work once more. If not, well, she pushed those thoughts aside. Instead, she forced herself to be optimistic and focused on the positive: the opportunity to speak with Lady Stadtfeld herself in person!

The men who transferred from Pendragon to the Western Fleet spoke of Lady Stadtfeld and Prince Lelouch in all but open worship. They spoke of the legacy of the Flash, the perfect warrior and general reborn in the son and his knight. Many doubted. Others scoffed. But Marika believed. There were so few women of true power to look up to in the world, and with Lady Stadtfeld's young age, how could she not?

Yes, this would be the beginning of a legend etched into Britannian history. There could be no result but glorious victory. They were King Alwin and Queen Boudicca driving out the Romans once more! And Marika would be part of the story!

As she climbed the stairs out of the cargo hold onto the deck of the HMS _Dauntless_ , Marika tried to steady her fraying nerves. _Be calm, Marika. You will be dismissed outright if you can't behave yourself._

Lily nudged Marika and gestured to their right. Erika and Jean noticed as well, and they turned as one. There before them she stood. Lady Stadtfeld leaned against the deck's railing, gazing out upon the ocean. The sunrise lent a celestial glow to her profile and made her look every bit the figure of legend whispers promised she would become. Marika felt more than a little intimidated just gazing upon her.

As no one wanted to be the first to disturb Lady Stadtfeld's thoughts, Marika soon found herself pushed forward and volunteered without consent. She twisted her head back to glare at the other girls, quickly noting Jean avert her eyes. There would be retribution later!

"You know Sir Gottwald," Erika said. "She works with him. You've got this."

"That's not going to help," Marika hissed back. "I only met him a few times when he came to visit my _older_ brother."

Jean said, "Then go talk to him and make doe eyes."

"Or pout," Lily unhelpfully suggested.

"That won't work on him," Marika insisted. "I haven't even seen him in…" It must have been at least two years now. "You do it, Lily. You're the heiress."

Lily countered with, "Well, you're our commander."

A moment passed in silence. That little fact was so easy to forget with how long they'd known each other.

Before anything more could be said, Lady Stadtfeld's commanding voice filled the air. "Enough, girls." No one missed the quiet emphasis on the latter word as all four fell in line and snapped to attention to find her standing just before them. "If you squabble like this on the battlefield, consider yourselves discharged right now."

Upon receiving a nudge in the side, Marika said, "We do not, Ma'am."

Lady Stadtfeld raised a sceptical eyebrow and stared each one of them down. Ultimately, she let the matter pass without further challenge. "Very well. I want to–" She paused to glance over the four of them. After waiting for _something_ to happen, she then uttered a string of foreign words that sounded like a storm of profanity. "At ease, or rest, or whatever."

Marika relaxed slightly and dropped the salute but went no further. From the corner of her eye, she saw her friends do the same.

"I'm going to be frank with you four. I am _very_ uncomfortable with child soldiers."

As soon as Marika opened her mouth to speak, Lady Stadtfeld held up a hand.

"I don't care how good or bad you are in a knightmare. I don't know how you got here, and the only reason I want to know is to prevent it from ever happening again. I'm aware that this a more widespread problem than I wish to admit, but that changes nothing. So each of you, name, _age_ , and _why on Earth you're here_. If I don't like your reason, you're out. You first, Blondie."

"Dame Liliana Vergamon," Lily said. She was the heiress to her father's Barony, although no one expected her to inherit anytime soon. Tall and well-developed for her age with, as Lady Stadtfeld had pointed out, long blonde hair, she could perhaps pass herself off as an adult. She hesitated, the lie clearly on the tip of her tongue. "Thirteen." It was the honest answer. "I… I'm here to support Marika."

Lady Stadtfeld quirked an eyebrow once more. Time passed, but the added pressure pulled nothing more out of Lily, no fumbling lie to sound more noble or patriotic nor concern for personal glory. Oddly enough, Marika had the distinct impression that 'For Britannia' would result in instant dismissal.

Skipping over Marika rather blatantly, Lady Stadtfeld turned from Lily on Marika's right to the girl on her left. "And you?"

"Dame Erika Smith." Like Marika herself, Erika had caramel-coloured hair, although _she_ could grow it out without it frizzing into a nightmare. Not that Marika was jealous, of course. One glance at her was enough to tell she was not from the nobility, and her accent placed her at home amongst the middle class in Area One. "Thirteen. Also here for Marika."

"Uh-huh. And you?"

"Dame Jean Ainsworth." She had black hair clipped short into a pixie cut. Like Erika, she, too, was a commoner, although from the upper class. Without hesitation, she added, "Same and same."

"Brilliant," Lady Stadtfeld muttered under her breath. She returned her gaze at last to Marika. "What's your story, then?"

"I'm Corporal Marika Soresi. I command the Valkyrie Squad." She gestured to her friends. "Thirteen. Next month." Deciding to go all the way with the truth, she said, "I need an unassailable reason not to be pregnant in a year's time."

Lady Stadtfeld closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slowly in and even slower out.

"Let me guess. Betrothed at birth?"

Marika nodded.

"Your fiancé's family is looking a bit thin in numbers?"

Another nod.

"His parents found a loophole to marry you early?"

Marika's eyes fell to her feet, but she still nodded.

"You're looking to catch someone's eye to get a royal patron?"

"Yes."

"Who were you hoping for?"

"General Cornelia," Marika admitted, although perhaps another option had appeared before her.

Lady Stadtfeld snorted, amused for whatever reason. "Good pick. Her Highness would be very sympathetic to your plight. She spends much of her political capital ensuring that Princess Euphemia can live her life however she wishes. Quick question, then. If it were possible, would you want your fiancé and or his family to disappear?"

"No!" Marika said. "No, I – Leonhardt is…nice. I can't say I love him, but I don't wish him ill. Ah. Leonhardt Steiner, that's my fiancé's name."

"Hmph. I recognise the family. They're in the knightmare business. The Steiner–Konzern conglomerate, if I recall correctly. Of course they get whatever they want."

A moment passed in silence as Lady Stadtfeld ruminated on everything they had told her.

"Alright, you four. Here's the deal. I'm going to let you take part in today's training. If you _really_ impress me, I'll consider fielding you somewhere that's not likely to get you killed."

Marika smiled, unable to help herself, and her friends collapsed into her in a group hug. They were the best of the best. They could handle anything thrown at them, and they knew it.

"After things have settled down, I'll be able to give you more options. For now, however, consider yourselves part of the vi Britannia retinue."

Too stunned to say anything herself, Erika asked on Marika's behalf, "Can you do that?"

"My word is that of my prince." As anyone from the nobility would know, plus or minus some technicalities. "Go rejoin the rest of the crowd. Corporal, inform Lady Enneagram that I'll return shortly."

"Yes, My Lady!" came four voices in chorus. The other three left to follow the order, and Marika tarried only long enough to offer her sincerest gratitude. She owed Lady Stadtfeld a debt beyond measure. Someday she hoped she would find a way to repay it.

* * *

Lelouch picked up his phone and answered it. "What is it, Kallen?"

"I adopted some problem children."

Not being in private, Lelouch resisted knocking his head against the wall behind him. Instead, he settled for saying, "As I said before, they're your problem, my dearest."

"Love you too," Kallen replied in a sickeningly sweet voice. Far more seriously, she said, "We need to do something about children in our military and refine our marriage law."

"I'll add it to the list." It said a lot about the state of their country that those would be among the _easiest_ issues to resolve.

"Would you take care of putting the kids under our authority for me?"

"Sure." It would take no more than a moment. "Names?"

"The Valkyrie Squad should cover it. Thanks, Lelouch."

"You could return the favour," Lelouch said. "Do you have a better estimate on how much time you'll need with the devicers?"

"No. I haven't had a chance to work with them yet. I'll text you in about an hour once I have."

"Thanks." Lelouch hung up and replaced his phone in his pocket. He returned inside to the command centre where the brass awaited him. "Apologies for the interruption. Commodore, my knight decided to poach the Valkyrie Squad from your command. Do you have any objections?"

Commodore Porter's expression twitched into half a smile for a moment. "None, Your Highness."

"Excellent. Now as I was saying, the reports you sent me indicated that Russia deployed a minefield along their approach to the coast to protect their rear." Lelouch gestured to the area in question with his rake on the map before them. "Judging by their haste, the depth, and the wide area covered, I imagine these are simple contact mines to spare their coffers. Do we have any confirmation as such?"

The commodore turned to the communications officer present. "Contact our scouts in Sector E7."

A few minutes later, Lelouch had the answer he wanted.

"In that case, I propose we move them in secret."

The room looked to Lelouch in question.

"Portmans possess the required dexterity and range of operation." First placing several mine tokens onto the map, Lelouch then pushed them into position. "I propose we move their mines here. Russia _has_ already swept the area, correct?"

Commodore Porter nodded. "Only a few hours ago, in fact."

"Then they will consider it a safe path to retreat through. If we drive their fleet from our shores from the west, which admittedly will require time for us to manoeuvre, Russia will likely retreat south rather than risk running afoul of their own mines."

"You want to trick them into their own trap."

Lelouch nodded. "And since they've provided so very many mines for us to work with, we can redeploy them in an arc to catch them again when they turn east."

"Hmm…" Commodore Porter stroked his beard in thought. "As long as the Portmans betray no hint of their activities and we pressed their retreat hard, this would be devastating to the Russian fleet. If even a single mine detonates early, however…"

With a shrug, Lelouch said, "Then we will have lost nothing but time. Not optimal, but I doubt Russia has reinforcements incoming, and their ground forces will have little to do without naval support while their fleet is dealing with us. The coastline is littered with lakes, rivers, and mountains to hamper their movement, and there's little of interest to seize inland."

"True."

"Ideally," Lelouch continued, "we want to force the Russian fleet to abandon their army or else be sunk. If that happens, Area Two's army will be able to win a battle of attrition against Russia's stranded one. While they do so, we should then be able to take the Siberian coast with relative ease. We can also detour to Hokkaido in Area Eleven to supplement our preliminary invasion force without draining Area Two's reserves."

Clovis would not have many knightmares available to spare, however, an unfortunate consequence of Lelouch's duel with Marrybell. Still, uncontested control of the sea would be more than advantage enough to roll over whatever token force remained to defend Siberia's ports. The expansive wilderness between them and Russia proper would be the true defence to overcome.

Nodding in approval to Lelouch's plan, Commodore Porter asked, "Lieutenant Long, do we have enough energy fillers to support this operation?"

"Easily, Sir."

"With enough left over to engage in a major battle?" Lelouch asked.

Lieutenant Long hesitated a moment before answering. "There should be enough, but if I may be so bold, Your Highness, our Portmans did not fare well in our initial confrontation with the Russian fleet. They're not the game changer that the Glasgow was on land."

"Yes, I read through the report, and I was not surprised with the results. Portmans are neither submarines nor infantry. The closest analogue to existing weaponry would be a fighter aircraft, but that, too, falls short. Nevermind the tactics for now, however, while we finish developing our strategy. Lady Stadtfeld will see to it that our devicers are prepared for the battle to come."

* * *

 **HMS** _ **Angelina  
**_ **Pacific Ocean  
March 29, 2016 a.t.b.**

Although not surprising, the low number of simulators disappointed Kallen. Sadly, there was only so much space on a ship; priorities had to be made. Still, she had a dozen proper ones to rotate her trainees through, and there were plenty of Portmans to add into the simulation space without the physical feedback. Those would help their devicers less, but it would have to be enough.

After confirming that everything was set up and ready to go, Kallen hopped into a Portman with an eager grin. She inserted the key, entered the code, and connected to the simulation. She'd spent the entire flight here reading for just this occasion.

* * *

Marika admitted that she was perhaps a little _too_ excited for this training session. In all likelihood, Lady Stadtfeld would ultimately keep the Valkyrie Squad as far from active combat as she could, but this might possibly be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ace devicers on the level of the Knights of the Round were rare, and they _did not_ train others – or at least not in groups like this. There were too many battles and duties that kept them otherwise busy.

A notification on Marika's screen popped up. Lady Stadtfeld had finally joined them. Her Portman spawned a distance away and above the rest of the crowd. She engaged her hydro jet pack and, at a casual pace, approached the group in a diving arc headfirst before slowly drifting to a stop.

Lady Stadtfeld then demanded, "Why are you upside down, soldiers?"

The next thirty minutes left Marika with a splitting headache as she tried to internalise how to fight without gravity weighing her down.

* * *

 **Pacific Ocean  
March 31, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Alright, girls, listen up." Lady Stadtfeld's voice came over loud and clear within the Valkyrie Squad's knightmares. "I am _really_ stretching my comfort zone with this, but here we are. I want to make sure you understand your situation. You four have an isolated target to sink. You will not under _any_ circumstances join in the rest of the battle. If it comes to you, you will abandon your mission and retreat to the _Angelina_. Understood?"

A chorus of, "Yes, Ma'am!" came in response. In all honesty, Marika was surprised they'd been allowed even this much.

"I'll be watching over all four of you. If I think you're about to die, I _will_ eject you. If I think you're about to fall into a trap, I _will_ eject you. If I think you're about to do something incredibly daft, I _will_ eject you. No complaints. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"If one of you ejects, your priority is to recover her and retreat to the _Angelina_. If one of you finds herself unable to take a life, own up to it immediately and you _all_ retreat as a unit. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

A sigh came over the speakers. "Good. Remember that I'm a crutch, not a safety net. I can miss something as easily as a crutch can be knocked from your grasp. When you're submerged to any nontrivial depth, I can't stay in contact. This is also my first time sitting behind a computer like this, so don't count on me to save you. Your first responsibility is always to keep yourself and each other alive. Are you four ready?"

"B4, standing by," Jean said.

Erika came next. "B3, standing by."

And then Lily said, "B2, standing by."

"B1, standing by," Marika said.

"Very well. B1, it's your command."

"Right," Marika mumbled. This was it. "Valkyrie Squad, move out! Stay low and stay slow." If they were lucky, the enemy battleship would have no idea they were even coming.

The seabed was nothing like Marika had envisioned. Her imagination had filled her mind with great coral reefs, endless kelp forests, massive schools of fish, sharks, manta rays, the kraken! All she found here was sand, the occasional rock, and more sand. There was no light but what her squad brought with them. Truly, it was a wasteland.

"Two kilometres to target," Lily said.

 _Close._ Marika considered sending someone to act as a diversion to draw attention but ultimately discarded the idea. Sonar could not be distracted as the eye could be on land, and they could only communicate reliably at a distance of twenty metres. They had best stick together.

"One kilometre."

 _How to ascend…_ That was the question. They would be noticed no matter what, but if they kept their movement slow, they might be able to pass as a group of particularly large fish. _No, if the Russians are wise, they'll fire at anything that moves. A rapid ascent it is, then._

"One-hundred metres."

"We're going to make a fast ascent," Marika said. "Half max speed. We'll need the extra time to react to torpedoes."

"Fifty metres."

"When the enemy fires at us, spread out and call your shots. We have eight slash harkens between us, and we need to intercept every incoming torpedo. Try to avoid doubling up."

"Twenty metres."

"Begin ascent!" Marika said. The group turned as one to climb straight up.

A minute passed in tense silence.

"Torpedoes launched!" Lily said. Everyone could hear the slight tremor in her voice, but she powered through remarkably well. "I read three on my sonar."

Erika and Jean quickly confirmed the number.

"You know the drill. Turn to meet them." Underwater, one always had the ability to present the smallest possible profile for the enemy to track and hit. Moving antiparallel did make it harder to dodge, true, but that went both ways. A head-on slash harken rarely missed.

As the missiles neared, the sonar assigned distinct IDs to each. Marika left it to the other three girls this time to intercept them.

"Fire as soon as you have a lock."

One by one, the others sent out their slash harkens, and each one hit. The resulting explosions sent them flailing awkwardly for a few seconds in the roiling waters, but they regained control quickly.

"Ascend full speed!" Marika said. "Let's take advantage of the explosions blinding them." After she confirmed that everyone had heard and obeyed the command, she added, "Damage report."

"B2, down a slash harken."

"B3, no damage."

"B4, down a harken."

Marika checked the mass of noise that her sonar displayed. From what little it could tell her, all three torpedoes were gone. The first and second must have detonated the third before Erika's slash harken got in range – not optimal, but she would take it.

As they rose, daylight finally returned. Above them, the enemy battleship slowly floated away from them. Even from this distance, Marika could tell the ship had already sustained significant damage. Their job was to finish it off.

"B2, disable the rudder. B4, destroy the propellers. Help whoever finishes first. B3, you're with me to watch for enemy missiles if they're feeling suicidal. Or if they go mad and drop a land knightmare into the water to take us out."

Lily immediately fired her one good slash harken into the battleship just above the rudder. She left it locked in place and pulled her knightmare in close, anchoring her. From that position, she unlocked the cutting tool from her leg and grasped it with her Portman's manipulators. She then set about cutting an access hole into the ship's interior, at which point she could easily disable the rudder's control mechanism. It would take time, but the enemy's only real options were to watch helplessly or self-destruct.

Not far away, Jean set about doing the same to the first of the battleship's four propellers. After those two finished crippling the ship, it would be time to set about sinking it. That would take far longer, but it was less of a hassle than one might expect. A Portman carried enough miniature torpedoes to tear open a sizeable hole with the right prep work.

"Hmm, good work" – Marika jumped at the voice – "so far, B1."

"La – er, Q1! You're back!"

"Don't get distracted," Lady Stadtfeld said. "I'm just reviewing your knightmare's logs."

"Right." Marika turned her attention back to her knightmare's scanners.

* * *

 **HMS** _ **Dauntless  
**_ **Pacific Ocean  
March 31, 2016 a.t.b.**

Yet another ship sunk. This one had fallen to four little girls. They vanished from the map now with increasing frequency. Dozens of knightmares laboured in parallel, each at their own pace, while the battle between navies raged. Now the fruits of their labour showed as they harvested the Russian fleet with impunity.

"Heh heh."

It began small.

"Heh."

That was how it always began.

"Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha!"

The entire command centre stopped what they were doing to stare at Lelouch. Those who had something actively consuming their attention could only cast the occasional glance, but he knew they were watching.

"Your Highness?" Commodore Porter said, hesitant to question the madness.

There was no other word for today. This battle was synonymous with victory. Lelouch had heard how utterly one-sided the invasion of Japan had been, but to personally witness and direct such a conflict was another beast entirely. For perhaps the first time in his life, he truly appreciated why the world was so obsessed with knightmares. Pure satisfaction in a plan well executed beyond his wildest estimations washed through him and overflowed into the surrounding world.

"Ah…" Even as Lelouch's laughter died, the glee never left his face. There would be time to reflect on the lives lost another day. For now, he merely wished to indulge. "Forgive me, Commodore. We should share a toast. Britannia rules the sea once more."

Commodore Porter's sceptical gaze lingered but a moment longer. He turned his attention back to the map and uttered a simple, "Quite."

* * *

 **HMS** _ **Angelina  
**_ **Pacific Ocean  
April 4, 2016 a.t.b.**

"I admit I was scared at first," Lily said, "but all in all, our mission was a lot easier than I thought it would be when Lady Stadtfeld first gave it to us." With her part said, she reached for the bowl of crisps they'd managed to beg off of the quartermaster. Sometimes being young had its perks.

Jean swallowed her snack down and then said, "She did express her…disinclination for us to be in danger."

"Do you blame her?" Marika commented. "I truly appreciate that you three are here for me, but most of my head still screams at me to send you home."

"Not that you ever could," Lily insisted. She was more right than she probably thought, in truth. Marika had no idea how she would cope without her friends with her.

"Lily, Jean," Erika began, already snickering, "did either of you see that knightmare the Russians tried to put on a tiny little boat to shoot at us?"

The mere question alone sent all four girls crackling into full blown laughter.

"What even was up with that?" Marika said. She had a hard time trying to decide if it had been adorable or pitiable.

"Hey, they had to do something," Erika countered with a grin stretching her face to its limit. "It's not their fault – Lady Stadtfeld!"

Reacting almost as one, all four rose to their feet and spun to face the woman in question. The bowl of crisps almost fell over in their haste, leaving Erika to awkwardly catch it.

"Sorry to break up the fun, girls, but I need to speak with your commander. Follow me."

Marika turned to her friends, each of whom gave her an encouraging smile that she returned. They all knew what this meeting would entail and had anticipated it for some time now. If it went well, all their worries about the future would be over.

After a few minutes of walking, Marika found herself in the computer room where the knightmare simulations were controlled. Lady Stadtfeld sat behind one of them and gestured for her to take a seat anywhere. The engineering staff, she supposed, were probably on their lunch break.

"I hope you don't mind if I occasionally fiddle with the computers. I promised to keep everything running for us to have a little privacy."

Marika had no complaints and said as such, not that she really needed to give her permission. But it so given, Lady Stadtfeld pulled up a keyboard and mouse and set to work with a pensive look on her face. Marika did not need to be a telepath to know she was trying to decide just how to start this conversation.

For her own part, Marika waited patiently, determined not to press.

"When I was your age," Lady Stadtfeld began, but she trailed off into a rueful chuckle. "'When I was your age' indeed. I'm only a few years older than you."

While true in the chronological sense, Marika could not imagine herself being half the woman Lady Stadtfeld was at a mere sixteen years. She barely felt capable of looking after her friends, whereas Lady Stadtfeld was already a knight protecting royalty, an industrial tycoon, and a countess who cared for millions.

 _That kind of responsibility would overwhelm me in days._

"Nonette would never let me hear the end of it if she heard me say that," Lady Stadtfeld mumbled. "Marika – ah, may I call you Marika?"

The girl in question nodded.

"Great. Our little circle of friends isn't big on formality in private. Except for Jeremiah, but I overheard that you know what he's like."

Despite herself, Marika let out a quiet titter.

"Marika, over the last few days, I've created several options for you, some more appealing than others, but I need to ask you a few questions before we get to them. First, how long were you hoping to avoid your fiancé?"

"Avoid is a strong word," Marika said, which only earned her a sceptical look. "At least until I'm an adult. Probably longer."

"That won't be a problem. Are you expecting your friends to want to join you?"

Without hesitation, Marika replied, "Yes." They had vowed to stick together to the best of their ability.

"Have you four been keeping up with your schooling?"

This time Marika faltered for a moment. But as tempting as it was to lie, the truth would come out far too easily. She thus admitted, "We try, but we're a little behind."

Lady Stadtfeld – _Kallen_ , Marika corrected herself despite how unearned that felt – clicked her tongue. "I see. What do you want to do with your life?"

"Well…I'm going to be the next Lady Steiner, so–"

Kallen interrupted, " _Want_ , Marika, not expect."

"Oh. I, um… I've not really thought about it, I suppose. I do enjoy piloting knightmares, though, and most of my family has been in the military at one point or another. That's part of how I convinced them to let me be here. After that…I don't know."

"Hmm, fair enough. In that case, here are your options. When we reach Siberia, Lelouch and I will be going off on one of his mad plans that will ultimately result in a spectacular victory, so no matter what, you won't be coming with us for some time. Your first choice, if you _really_ insist, is to stay here and let what happens happen."

Marika blanched at the offer, and Kallen chuckled at the look on her face.

"No, I thought not. Second, Cornelia is willing to take you in and find some busywork for you that sounds more important than it actually is."

That sounded more appealing.

"Third, the Knight of Two offered more or less the same, although with him you would be more likely to end up in a knightmare in RTD."

That sounded exciting!

"Your fourth option, and the one I would _highly_ prefer you take, is to enrol in Ashford Academy. I'll have time to take you down to Tokyo when we stop in Hokkaido. You see, you and your friends are the same age as Nunnally…"

* * *

 **Britannian Army Garrison Hokkaido  
** ** **Hokkaido** Government Borough, Area 11  
April 6, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Lelouch, please. You owe me a favour. I really need your help with this one. I could be disinherited!"

"I'm sorry, Clovis," Lelouch said with some amount of sincerity. Of all his siblings, Clovis was one of the more decent sort, regardless of whatever suspect activities he'd decided to indulge in recently. "The emperor specifically ordered me to launch our invasion. Have you asked Marrybell to help yet?"

Lelouch could _feel_ Clovis's flinch from the other end of the phone a thousand kilometres away.

 _Hmm… I wonder if Marrybell figured out what Clovis was up to? I'll have to call her later before I set sail again._

Clovis's voice broke Lelouch out of his thoughts. "She's being…uncooperative."

"Not surprising, I suppose," Lelouch said. "You know how tenuously held her own position is. Involving herself in covering up a chemical weapons scandal could ruin her if it got out."

"And that's why I didn't push her on it and came to you."

Before the request could be made once more, Lelouch said, "I truly am sorry I can't help, Clovis. To be honest, you're probably my favourite brother, but no one disobeys a direct order from the emperor."

Clovis sighed in resignation. "I understand. Have fun in Russia, then. Father couldn't have picked a better general. Besides Schneizel."

"Oi!" Lelouch said flatly. He ignored the snickering coming from his phone and ended the call. _Daft git._

Disregarding the annoying fop's parting jab, Lelouch returned to work poring over personnel files. Jeremiah was somewhere nearby overseeing the assembly of a small army to take and hold the Siberian coastline. Kallen was off settling the Valkyrie Squad into Ashford Academy for now, ostensibly on undercover guard duty. That left just him to sort out the right candidates for his own personal task force.

 _Hmm… There's not as many people fluent in French or Russian here as I'd hoped. I may need to pull from other garrisons._

Lelouch clicked from one profile to the next.

 _We'll need to interview them, too, to ensure they can pass as Europeans. I wish we had a foreign legion to draw on as France does. That would make this much less time consuming._

One person passed after another all in a line thousands long.

 _How many of the Shinozaki will we need?_ Lelouch mused. _Perhaps a dozen? I'll have to ask for Shinobu's advice. She would know more about black ops missions than I would._

Lelouch clicked to another file and paused.

 _What is a polyglot doing as a foot soldier?_

Apparently, one Cecile Carrel spoke English, French, Russian, several dialects of German, Japanese, Chinese, and a half-dozen other languages without a trace of an accent. Lelouch glanced at the picture accompanying her file. She looked young, although the black hair framing her face and apathetic expression lent a certain maturity to her appearance. A glimpse of her recorded age made him snort.

 _I'm going to assume she's sixteen, not six-hundred-sixteen. Are the languages also a computer error?_

Not there was anything to lose by throwing Private Carrel into the interview pile. If it were, in fact, in error, it would be discovered within moments.

* * *

 **Britannian Army Encampment  
Vladivostok Countryside, Russia  
April 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

With no time to develop countermeasures, the remainder of the Russian Pacific Fleet had fallen with the same brutal efficiency as the rest. The Britannian fleet had sailed into their home port of Vladivostok with almost no resistance. The local army had fought valiantly but had ultimately been forced to retreat; too much of it was stranded an ocean away in Area Two to hold the city, and Britannia had sailed too swiftly for reinforcements to arrive in time.

Vladivostok had fallen, and yet life moved on. Although travel into and out of the city had been cut off, the hundreds of thousands of civilians who had not fled in time lived out their daily lives relatively unaffected. There had been no senseless slaughters that had so plagued the invasion of Japan, only the brief acknowledgement of a change in sovereignty.

Kallen felt a jacket wrap around her shoulders. She shifted and wiggled until it settled comfortably against her neck and down her back. In her hands, she held a mug of precious hot cocoa, one of many she'd smuggled out of Alyeska Resort. She indulged in a slow, nursing sip.

"Forty-seven," Kallen said. From her seat atop a small cliffside overlooking Vladivostok, she tried to imagine removing that many people from one area all at once. Cars travelling along the motorway were the easiest to identify. When she did, she found it such a small number.

"It's probably not healthy to keep count," Lelouch idly commented as he sat down.

A shrug was all the reply Kallen gave. Lelouch was probably right, and she would likely avoid doing so in the future, but it had been _so easy_ , not at all like fighting the purists had been. The severe numbers disparity and unpractised teamwork back then had kept her mind constantly busy. This battle had been the complete opposite. She'd been a central feature of a well oiled machine designed for one solitary purpose.

Instead of dwelling on gloomy thoughts, Kallen leaned into Lelouch and enjoyed the comforting warmth of another living being.

"We should go wander the city," Kallen suggested. "Put on our disguises and practice pretending to be French. Better to be caught out here than in European Russia."

"You just want to explore."

The accusation came without bite, and Kallen admitted, "Maybe."

"We'll go when you finish your drink."

Kallen hummed appreciatively and leaned her head against Lelouch's shoulder. For the moment, all she wanted was the soothing presence his company provided.

* * *

 **Vladivostok Outskirts, Russia  
April 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

Kallen heard a soft sound approaching, a quiet pitter-patter that grew faintly louder. Judging by the beat, someone was approaching from behind. She withdrew her phone and glanced in the reflection, but nothing caught her eye. Just in case, she briefly turned it on and off as if checking a message.

Still the sound's source neared. When it came too close, she spun around with pistol drawn.

 _Nothing? But…_

"Kallen?"

Frowning, Kallen gave the area one last glance only to find nothing and no one. "My ears must be playing tricks on me. I could have sworn someone was right behind us."

"Are you sure there's not?"

Hesitant to conclude otherwise, Kallen said, "No. But it could have been a raccoon or something."

"Raccoons are mostly found in the homeland. Perhaps a badger?"

"Maybe…" With a shrug, Kallen turned back around and said, "Let's get out of here."

The pair resumed walking. Kallen kept a careful ear out, but this time she only heard the sound of their own feet. Just in case, she veered them down an alley. If anyone _was_ following them, she would know exactly where to aim.

A minute passed, then two, as the pair traversed the alleyways back toward the encampment.

Nothing.

 _Hmm, I suppose it was just my imagination._

But then came a very faint but very _human_ grunt of exertion. Reacting instantly, Kallen shouldered Lelouch aside. The next moment, a knife plunged into her back. Over the clamour that Lelouch made as he fell and her own scream, she heard a male voice swear in English under his breath as he pulled the knife out.

Kallen kicked out behind her and hit _someone_ in the legs, knocking them down. She spun in place and found a man in all black on the ground behind her. Ignoring her wound, adrenaline fuelling her, she stomped down on the hand holding the knife and drew her pistol.

But Kallen's foot went right through the assassin's wrist as if he were a ghost. The illusion – hologram? – faded, and Kallen picked up on the sound of movement that _should not be there_ in Lelouch's direction.

"Lelouch, run!" Kallen called out as she fired. A sharp cry of pain was her reward, even if she had no bloody idea who she'd hit or where he was.

For only an instant, Lelouch's eyes met Kallen's with a silent command to live. They'd had this conversation before. She was replaceable. He was a liability. His job was to get to safety. Hers was to provide it.

As Lelouch fled forward around a corner, Kallen picked up the lid of a rubbish bin. She flung it as a Frisbee in the general direction of the last _wrong_ sound she'd heard. It hit a hand, she supposed, as a pistol fell to the ground. Unless that, too, was an illusion? It made the right sound, though.

Trusting her ears, Kallen flung another lid in roughly the right direction. Her eyes told her this one sailed on unobstructed, but the dull thud of impact with clothes betrayed the truth. She fired in that direction with her gun, but it sounded as though she'd missed every shot.

Swearing under her breath, Kallen replaced the magazine as her eyes scanned for something else to throw besides flimsy rubbish. She _did not_ want to get into a melee fight with an invisible assassin, and giving him enough time to start a gunfight would be even worse.

From the direction Lelouch had _probably_ left, a woman came running in to join the fray with pistol drawn. For a moment, Kallen tried disbelieving the illusion. When that failed to work, she ignored the woman. She was probably not real anyway.

But then the woman fired at thin air, and her gun very definitely made a sound, so she _was_ real.

Except right after that, the woman vanished from sight entirely. Kallen had barely even gotten a glance at her. The sound of a scuffle broke out, and now _Kallen_ was a liability. She had no idea what was going on, it was a coin toss on hitting her tentative ally or the assassin if she attacked, she had little ability to defend herself, she was bleeding out, and adrenaline would only last her so long.

Kallen had but one option. She bolted in the direction Lelouch had left. If she could get away from the fight, she removed herself from the equation. Maybe she could even reach help. Besides, the mysterious woman _seemed_ unaffected by whatever technological magic had been cast here. She could handle herself.

As soon as Kallen ran, her vision blackened. Surprised, she tripped over something a moment later.

Cursing as she scrambled to her feet, Kallen reached out with one hand to find the wall on her right. In total darkness, she felt her way forward as quickly as she dared. If her mental map was right, she was almost to the corner Lelouch had fled around.

Two things happened.

The woman cried out, "No!" just as a gun fired.

Then came the sound of bone cracking and the flump of a body.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck._ Kallen spun around and opened fire behind her hoping for a lucky hit. Her ally was down, so she aimed high. The mournful click of an empty magazine soon met her ears a dozen shots later. The lack of a death cry meant only one thing: she would be dead before she reloaded.

This was it. This was the end.

This was… _unfair_. Magic was a bloody diabolus ex machina.

And then sight came back to Kallen with a vengeance. Pain, her body, and the world faded away. What she could only describe as the pulsing nerves of colour assaulted her mind. This was different, far beyond the illusions she'd been subjected to – real, yet not. Time stopped. The danger paused.

"You don't want it to end here, do you?"

 _What…_ The voice spoke directly to Kallen, bypassing such mundane things as ears.

"You have a reason for living."

Now that the shock had sunk in, Kallen recognised the voice. It was the woman who'd come to her rescue. For but an instant, the woman's very being lay bare before her. She recognised who this was: C.C..

But that was a passing thing, a fleeting moment. An instant later, she felt _connected_. To everyone and everything. Endless knowledge filled her head, none of which she could process. The universe whispered its secrets to her if only she would listen and understand.

"If you had the strength, you could survive. I propose a deal."

C.C.'s voice snapped Kallen's mind into focus. _A deal?_

"In return for my gift of power, you must grant one wish of mine."

Every single fibre of Kallen's being screamed at her to refuse on principle. Even the least genre-savvy person in the world would recognise the situation she found herself in. Power and her life in exchange for one unspecified wish? There were so many ways that could go wrong. But what choice did she have? C.C. held all the bargaining power.

"Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different fate, a different time, a different life."

An endless crowd filled Kallen's mind, all united in the symbol each bore upon their forehead: the red silhouette of a bird in flight. Their clothing ranged from modern, to medieval, to ancient, to older than dirt. Each, she _knew_ , had been the bearer of a geass, for that was the name of the power C.C. offered. The word blazed in her mind. Power, it promised, power enough to _win_ but only if she herself possessed the strength to seize her victory.

"The power of the queen will condemn you to a life of solitude."

There was a hidden truth behind those words, but their meaning escaped Kallen. It spoke of something _more_ than geass.

"If you are prepared for that…"

Kallen snorted. Between death and solitude, the choice was obvious. She had so much left to do. She had a world to change. She had loved ones to protect. She would not let them be bereaved _again_. Never again.

"I accept your contract!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Next stage, _The Oracle_.

Bonus points to those who recognise the good commodore's name.

So I was _very_ surprised when I browsed through the _Code Geass_ wiki pages for canon Britannian soldiers and stumbled onto Marika's page. She's honestly, actually, really, truly married in canon at fourteen (Edit: 15? I don't have my hands on the original source, sadly) and dies at 15 (Edit: I've been informed that she somehow survived Kallen blowing her up in R2). I suspected canon!Britannia had some issues along this line given how Charles runs the country, but, well, there's the proof. And child soldiers? Yeah, not even counting the Geass Order, there's a lot of them over the entire extended universe. Even with the bar for adulthood set at 16, start a counter and cringe when you're done.

By the way, I keep forgetting to mention it, but behold, a shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general. And yes, I'm aware the site name is spelt wrong. 'Tis a forbidden word.


	14. R1 S13 - The Oracle

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 13 - The Oracle

 **Britannian Army Encampment  
Vladivostok Countryside, Russia  
April 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

For hours, Lelouch had been a hair's breadth away from ordering Vladivostok encircled and razed to the ground. No body had been found with Kallen, and he had never considered himself a man above revenge. Even if thousands of lives were destroyed in the wake of his fury, if she had died, he would pursue her killer with the same inexhaustible determination as his mother's. But Kallen had survived, and so the city and the assassin somewhere within it would live another day.

By the time Lelouch heard Kallen was awake and made it to her ward, the doctors had long since cleared out and left her to her own devices. A full dozen men were placed to guard the only entrance to her room with specific instructions to ensure the door was physically obstructed and locked at all times unless otherwise authorised. The door itself had an alarm attached inside that blared whenever open which _could not_ be deactivated without being destroyed. The bed itself also had an alarm that would sound without Kallen's weight on it, and the room had been cleared of any combination of items that could approximate her mass. The precautions had caused more than a few raised eyebrows, but Lelouch was taking no chances until he heard what had happened from her own mouth.

 _Unless that's not her lying in there._

After Lelouch passed the initial security check and verified his identity to the guards he'd placed, he drew his pistol. With what had happened in that alleyway, he assigned a nontrivial probability that the person inside Kallen's room was an impostor. Invisibility was but a step away from illusion from a theoretical perspective. It was mere manipulation of light in either case.

Lelouch opened the door, and the alarm blared as expected. He immediately spotted Kallen lying in bed and lined up his shot as the door closed behind him. The alarm cut off, and he spoke. "I am the spear shaker." Never had he been more thankful for the silly games that children played.

Kallen's eyes snapped to attention on him and out of her thoughts. "Watashi wa ten no ikari desu."

Lelouch lowered his gun with relief and approached the bed. That was Kallen.

"Do you know what happened to the assassin?"

"I killed him."

"There was no body," Lelouch countered, "and if he had backup to collect it, why would you be left alive?" It was one thing for a wounded assassin to crawl away like the worm he was after his target escaped and leave Kallen for dead. It was another thing entirely for an accomplice not to take five seconds to finish her off.

"No, I definitely – wait, was I the only one found there?" After Lelouch nodded, Kallen said, "Then that means…" She drifted off back into her thoughts.

"Kallen? Kallen?" When she failed to respond, Lelouch snapped his fingers in her face. That certainly got her attention back. Regrettably, however, she started in surprise and ended up quietly moaning in pain. "Sorry."

"No worries. Urgh. It still hurts to breath."

Lelouch bit down the reflexive quip on the tip of his tongue about collapsed lungs. If she laughed, it would hurt. If she scolded him, it would hurt. He liked to believe he had more tact than that.

"I think I know what happened to the body," Kallen said. "And more besides. We don't need to be on edge over sorcerers. Or, well, maybe we do, but not that particular one. Oh, but I have – so we wouldn't–" She broke out of her babbling only to say, "Lelouch, when we get home, I want a statue of me inscribed, 'Kallen Stadtfeld, Sorceress Supreme' to commemorate my victory."

"Uh-huh…"

Kallen chuckled only to flinch. "Damn," she muttered. "This is way worse than last time. Who's prepared for magic? Bloody unfair, that is. At least 'get the assassination target away from the assassin' went according to plan."

It had, and Lelouch remained unsure how to feel about it. Even if he possessed the martial prowess of Sir Lancelot, the magical scabbard of King Arthur, and the agility of Robin Hood combined, it was the correct choice. There was no good reason to actively give an assassin with the initiative more chances to kill him when he could simply remove himself from the situation instead. But it still left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Help me sit up?"

Despite not knowing if he should, Lelouch obliged the request and stacked several pillows behind Kallen to support her injured back.

"Thanks. Lelouch, would you please find a revolver for me?"

"What? Why?"

"I need to prove something completely and utterly mad to you."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow, but Kallen just crossed her arms and stared back. Sighing, he left the room and spent the next fifteen minutes wandering about until he found someone who had a revolver. He forwent asking why, borrowed it, and returned to Kallen with it. She took it off his hands and unloaded all but one of the bullets from the cylinder.

"Kallen…" Lelouch had a really bad feeling about this, and it only got worse when she spun the cylinder without looking at it.

"Just stand there and watch," Kallen said. "Trust me."

"Russian Roulette is a matter of chance, not trust," Lelouch said as Kallen placed the revolver's muzzle against the side of her head. He restrained himself from taking the gun from her only because she was too coherent to be high and the doctors had never mentioned her suffering from head trauma.

Kallen was unmoved. "Each chamber has a one in six chance of containing the bullet. The odds of me pulling the trigger until the bullet comes up and then stopping in an unbiased game of chance are still one in six. I'm effectively just guessing the bullet's offset from the starting position."

"Yes…"

"I'm going to demonstrate a probability zero event. Pick an epsilon, and I'll get the odds below it. I swear this isn't a cheap trick." Kallen pulled the trigger three times one after another. She stopped on the fourth, opened the cylinder, and showed that the bullet had been next in line to fire. "One in six."

Once more, Kallen spun the cylinder. She pulled the trigger twice this time, and once again the bullet was due to be fired when she stopped. "One in thirty-six."

Kallen repeated the process. "One in two-sixteen."

Again. "One in…six to the fourth."

And again. "One in six to the fifth."

And yet again. "One in six to the sixth."

Time passed.

"Six to the twentieth."

"That's enough," Lelouch said. He gently pulled the gun away from Kallen's hands, his frayed nerves finally breaking. She obviously had some secret to share that worked and worked _reliably_ , but her proving it to him nonetheless frightened him out of his mind. "How are you doing that?"

"You should sit down." After Lelouch did so, Kallen continued, "Let me tell you what happened. After you left, things got _really_ weird…"

* * *

 **Vladivostok Outskirts, Russia  
April 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

"I accept your contract!"

The deal was made, the power granted. The world snapped back into place, and the clarity that strange distorted reality granted vanished in a blink. It had been as ephemeral an experience as a dream. Now it was back to pain, and danger, and a racing heart.

But Kallen was not unchanged. She could feel her geass blazing in her eye. It filled her head with the certain knowledge that she was, in fact, going to die. Lelouch would then die with absolute certainty because he had too little time to guess the full extent of his assassin's power.

Kallen threw her gun.

The pistol was empty, but as a projectile on its own it served its purpose well enough. It sailed through the air and slammed into the assassin's head, momentarily disorienting him.

And Kallen knew she was going to die, but differently so.

With the time she had bought herself, Kallen unzipped her jacket and withdrew her parrying dagger from underneath.

With her eyes closed, not willing to trust her sight even if it came back to her, Kallen leapt forward and slid across the ground on one of the rubbish bin lids she'd thrown earlier. The first shot fired at her missed entirely, but the second struck her shoulder. That was going to bruise later, but her body armour did its job against _bullets_.

And still Kallen knew she was going to die, but Lelouch was out of danger now.

Grunting, Kallen pushed what energy she could muster into her legs and hoped physics had her back. She jumped. The next shot fired at her came dangerously close to the edge of her armour near her waist.

But that was fine, because Kallen was at last unsure if she would die, and so she would live.

The assassin grunted as Kallen slammed into him with her full weight. Before they even hit the ground, she brought her right arm up to stab him, but it was a feint. She'd switched her dagger to her left hand. The assassin brought his free hand up to block her right and left himself open for her to bury her dagger in his neck.

The assassin gurgled, a nauseous liquid sound. He managed a half-stifled cough that splattered warm blood across Kallen's face, each drop in stark contrast to the evening's chill. Finally, the assassin fell slack. It was over. She'd escaped the grasp of most certain death.

Kallen's breath came in ragged, painful gasps as though she'd run a marathon. That was not right. Something was still wrong. Another sorcerer, perhaps? Blinking, she found that her vision had returned to her but not as fully as she'd hoped.

 _Why is everything fuzzy?_

Kallen struggled to her feet. Halfway there, she gave it up as a bad job, collapsed, and rolled off the assassin. The moment she hit her back, she screamed.

 _Right. Gaping wound. Blood loss._

But that was fine, because Kallen was unsure if she would die, and so she would live.

 _Think I'm…going to…sleep…no…_

* * *

 **Britannian Army Encampment  
Vladivostok Countryside, Russia  
April 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

"And I've given it some thought since I woke up," Kallen said, finishing her all but unbelievable story. "There's some basic instinct rolling around in my head. I know, more or less, what my geass is supposed to _do_ , but the specifics aren't there. It's…hard to describe exactly what it does. It's not as simple as merely letting me know when or if someone will die, but it's also not so convenient that I know all the details. And I don't see either you, or me, or Euphie, or whoever dying of old age, so it obviously has a limited view of the future, but _how limited_ isn't something I want to purposefully test, because when we go past the edge, someone _will_ die. Probably. Maybe we could get creative, but–"

Lelouch held up a hand. "Kallen, stop. Give me a moment. Please. I don't know if your…geass" – and what an odd choice of name that was; he would have to brush up on his Irish mythology – "makes you naturally accepting of this, but you've shattered my worldview. I need a minute or two to incorporate this new aspect of reality."

"Heh. Fair enough." After a moment's pause, Kallen added, "And perhaps a touch concerning. I _am_ feeling a little…bubbly."

"That would be the drugs."

"Ah. Well, I would not object to a higher dose."

Lelouch shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps something mundane, then?" Kallen suggested. "I missed the Vladivostok after action report, didn't I?"

"I looked through your knightmare's logs and gave yours for you. I'd much prefer you rest than worry about bureaucracy."

"Well, thanks. Give me the highlights?"

"I… Very well." Lelouch leaned back in his chair and relaxed, glad to have something to momentarily distract himself with. Beyond the whole 'magic is real' thing, Kallen being able to look into the future – however limited – induced a certain level of philosophical distress. Not much, of course, but enough that he would need to take a moment later to stamp it out.

"There's not much to share," Lelouch said. "The battle both on land and at sea went more or less as expected. I re-emphasised the necessity of combined arms at sea. The Portmans were so effective because our ships, fighters, and submarines kept Russia's occupied, leaving them vulnerable. You know how tempted some of us are to rely solely on knightmares.

"I gave some thought to how I would counter the tactics we used and shared. The next naval battle we get involved with, we should expect low powered depth charges that will damage knightmares but not armoured hulls."

"I was wondering what happened to that one battleship," Kallen mused. "They tried to get the range just right with a standard charge but self-destructed?"

Lelouch shrugged. "That's my running theory. I do believe we've effectively proven that Portmans are agile enough to avoid depth charges at anything but close range, however."

"Are they singing our praises?" Kallen asked. Her eyes betrayed her anticipation of something. Or perhaps it was hope?

"Did you expect otherwise? The devicers are especially fond of you."

Eyes now alight, Kallen asked, "Do I have a new epithet?"

 _Ah. I see now._ A smile crept onto Lelouch's face as he said, "I'm afraid not, my rose."

Kallen muttered something inaudible and huffed.

"You'll get something to stick someday."

"I don't need your false sympathy." Lelouch quietly chuckled as Kallen mumbled, "Should have brought the valkyries. Start a gossip campaign. Use that hero worship for my own good, not theirs."

For a time, Lelouch let himself relax and listened to Kallen chatter and ramble about nothing. The world and its troubles could wait. A warm feeling suffused him the longer she spoke and the more he allowed himself to accept that she really was alive.

"Lelouch?"

"Hmm?"

"We really do need to talk more about what happened. I have startling revelations to share."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "More so than magic?"

"Well…no. Not objectively speaking. But I recognised the woman who gave me my geass."

"Really?" On some level, that was unsurprising. Something like this _did not_ happen by coincidence, or at least not with any significant probability. Yet if magic had been around them all their lives, then why were they only just now noticing it? More magic? "Who was it?"

"C.C.."

Lelouch frowned, and his eyebrows narrowed in thought. That name sounded familiar. _But where…_

"She was the one who pointed me toward Aries Villa six years ago. Remember? She claimed to have been your midwife. If that's true – and it would have been the strangest lie if not – then she must have been _very_ close to Marianne."

"Mum had a geass." The words rolled off Lelouch's tongue without prompting or thought. That…explained a lot about her death, actually. No one could figure out how she and her killer had gotten into Aries Villa because no one had considered _magic_ of all things as a possibility. It might also explain the emperor's inexplicable behaviour in the wake of her assassination.

 _Wait._ Lelouch pulled out his phone and opened the transcript of his last conversation with the emperor. The first part had made absolutely no sense at the time, but not now. His grip tightened until his knuckles turned white.

"Hey! What is it?"

Lelouch turned his attention back to Kallen. "Something the emperor said to me. He knows more about Mum's death. And his… _negligence_ " – the succinct way to put it – "facilitated it."

Kallen extended her hand, and Lelouch handed over his phone without a word. A few seconds later, she uttered a scornful, "I see."

"We need to interrogate this C.C.."

"Agreed. But she did save–"

"–both our lives?" Lelouch snapped. He took a moment to compose himself and calm his temper. Kallen deserved none of it, and he never made good decisions in anger. "I know. The only evidence we have that she was involved with Mum's death is a cryptic implication from the emperor, her probable acquaintance with Mum, and a lack of other suspects due to our own ignorance. I won't do anything to earn the wrath of the witch of unknown power. But she _must_ know something."

After a few seconds passed in silence, Kallen said, "I didn't get a good look at her this time, but I remember that C.C. had lime green hair and looked about sixteen or seventeen, maybe eighteen, when I last met her. That's all I can recall with certainty. Oh, and I heard one of her bones crack when she got shot, but I have no idea which one."

 _So we're looking for an injured woman in her mid twenties. Unless she decides to come to us now that we know she exists._

A ghost of a smile overtook Lelouch as an idea struck him. "C.C.'s presence here cannot have been coincidence. Want to bet on how long she's been following us around" – magically or otherwise – "protecting us from sorcerers?"

Kallen grinned. "Are we really going to keep using 'magic' and 'sorcerer'?"

"It clearly amuses you," Lelouch said dryly, "so I see no reason not to."

With an even wider smile, Kallen said, "Alright. Let me think… Since Marianne's death or after?"

"And I get all the time before then?" Which included the days and hours leading up to that moment. When Kallen nodded, Lelouch said, "It's a bet. The usual stakes?"

"Of course." A moment later, Kallen said, "But before you start antagonising C.C. with questions, ask her for your own geass. We need to get you a power upgrade, or else why would I need you?"

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "Perhaps my strategic brilliance, generalship, charisma, oratory skills, political savvy, dashing good looks, lineage, or at least friendship?"

"Oh, yes. I need a puppet on my throne. How foolish of me. You've made me feel very naive."

"I'm sure," Lelouch said, his voice laced with sarcasm. His gaze fell upon the discard revolver from earlier. "How far into the future do you _know_ you can see?"

Kallen sank into thought. Eventually, she said, "Maybe fifteen minutes? I know the assassin would have killed you without my altering the timeline, but I'm unsure how long it would have taken him to catch up to you. I know you're not as unfit as I like to tease. Why?"

It was a little awkward to point out, but the possibilities were too great to ignore and the longer her foresight the larger the search space she could support. He picked up the revolver and pointed it at Kallen's head. "I'm thinking of a number between one and a hundred. If you guess wrong, I shoot you."

Kallen blinked. And then she laughed, only to regret it a second later as her injuries caught up with her. Even so, she still clearly struggled to control herself. She did eventually manage, "Unless you're thinking of the number one, you have to _mean_ to fire if you want it to work."

"Forty-two, actually," Lelouch said. He shrugged and set aside the gun. "But point both made and taken, I believe."

"Quite so. Quite so."

Lelouch let Kallen naturally exhaust herself of her giggles. Once she settled down, he said, "We can discuss how to abuse your geass some other time. Is it always active?"

"No, I have to focus on it a little. But I suppose I might be able to train myself to keep it always on."

"Unless it's too distracting, do so." Then because it was _Kallen_ , Lelouch added, " _After_ you recover."

Kallen stuck her tongue out at Lelouch.

"We'll have to work out the details of proximity and such as well. As there's someone dying in the world every second and you're not overwhelmed with useless information, you must have a filter on whose deaths you're aware of. Your own and mine are on the list but not the assassin, so the obvious guess would be people you know plus or minus some additional constraints."

Lelouch shook his head. He was getting carried away. This was a puzzle for later.

"Nevermind. It's good to know we're no longer dependent on someone we don't know for protection. I imagine this is not the first assassin C.C. has fought for us."

Lelouch paused a moment as a thought came to him. He was, in fact, rather embarrassed this had not occurred to him before now. He must still be more perturbed from Kallen's revelations than he thought. An hour to ruminate in solitude as she'd been permitted would not be amiss. It was terribly likely he was overlooking another important conclusion or two.

 _So if we believe C.C. is guarding us against geass, then someone with deep influence within–_ Lelouch searched for the right word. – _a cabal must have a grievance strong enough to justify her presence. And if C.C. has been around for years, likely at Mum's behest, then there's only one suspect._

"If we capture the next assassin alive," Lelouch began, "perhaps we can discover who was responsible for Mum's murder." Professional assassins tended to be notoriously difficult to interrogate, however, and he could be mistaken in his logic. Still, it remained a lead and perhaps their only one if Marianne had ordered C.C. not to reveal anything before she died. "Is it wrong to say I look forward to more attempts on my life?"

"Yes, you prat," Kallen said with a roll of her eyes. She sighed. "How out of the fight am I? The doctors never specified."

"They recommended I let you rest for a fortnight and keep you off duty for the following month."

"Fantastic," Kallen groaned. A wary tone entered her voice as she said, "At least this will help our cover?"

"Yes, it does make the 'French tourists fleeing Britannia' story more convincing." When Kallen subtly sighed in relief, Lelouch added, "Don't worry. You won't be left behind. Laertes won't arrive with the rest of our invasion force until next week anyway, so don't push yourself. We can't leave before he arrives."

"I shall hold those words to my bosom and console myself with them as I lie here alone, bored, and useless."

"Excellent. I'm glad I have such an effect on you" – Lelouch ignored Kallen's scowl – "because I do need to get back to work now that I know you're well."

Kallen sighed in resignation. "I understand. But one last thing before you go. What are we fighting this war over again?"

Kallen already knew the answer and the actual justification was largely irrelevant, but despite the oddness of the question, Lelouch replied, "Something about how we stole Area Two from Russia some hundred years ago."

"Oh, that old story. What did Area Two even used to be called?"

Lelouch shrugged. "I have no idea what the natives called it. The Russian name was something like Alyask."

"And so they decided to fight a war for it out of nowhere? Without EU support?"

"Doubtful. The emperor usually likes to instigate such matters." _Possibly with magic._ And with that thought in mind, the man no doubt had a geass of his own. How troubling. Lelouch would have to pore over history to have the slightest chance of determining what power it held, although he admittedly held little hope for success in such an endeavour.

Kallen broke Lelouch from his thoughts. "And the war started just before my birthday when we were caught in a fierce blizzard. Then the very first moment the Russians could reasonably be blamed for our deaths without anyone batting an eye, a geass assassin is set upon us."

 _Oh._

"Be careful, Lelouch. Whoever is out to get you or us is very involved in this war. And…maybe keep the secret magical powers just between us? For now, at least?"

"I believe it's redundant to tell a man you – clearly now unjustly – call paranoid to be careful, but I will. Rest well. We'll be busy again soon enough."

* * *

 **Britannian Army Encampment  
Vladivostok Countryside, Russia  
April 17, 2016 a.t.b.**

Three days had passed without the slightest hint of a woman matching C.C.'s description. Britannia's own ranks had not produced her. Vladivostok's hospitals had treated plenty of gunshot wounds, but she had not been one of their patients. The more suspect 'surgeons' in the city had been tracked down and questioned without success. Two or three had been quietly disposed of for being irredeemable filth.

Being completely honest with himself, Lelouch had not expected to find C.C.. Locating someone who wished to remain hidden was hard enough, but she likely had six or more years of practice dodging his eye. And of course who knew what magic she could invoke to aid her. For all he knew, she possessed a geass that specifically let her avoid detection. It was, he conceded, entirely possible that she was standing in front of him laughing at his attempts to find her this very moment.

And so Lelouch had given up actively searching for C.C. as a bad job. If anyone spotted her, then fantastic, but otherwise trying to pursue her would only waste time and resources. As grudgingly as the admission came, he had more important things to be doing at the moment than blindly chasing after leads to his mother's murderer.

Near the edge of the Britannian encampment, a large makeshift lecture hall had been erected on Lelouch's order. There the task force he'd assembled while in Japan underwent a crash course in disguise and infiltration. As he refused to get the OSI involved, he'd asked the Shinozaki he'd brought along to teach the classes.

Lelouch glanced at a clock, noting the time, and set out for the lecture hall. He would have much preferred to do this with Kallen as she would be part of the mission, but he had delayed long enough already. He arrived a few minutes before the last class of the day ended and waited just outside the classroom.

"And that's all we'll cover for today. Please review and practice tonight. What you learn here could very well save not only your own life but your fellow soldiers'. If you require assistance or supplies, you need only ask. Lastly, His Highness wished to have a word. Please proceed to the parade grounds, and he'll arrive momentarily."

Lelouch stood unseen out of the way as approximately two-hundred men and women vacated the hall. At the end of the line came Shinobu. He waved her over.

"Is anyone causing you trouble?" Lelouch asked.

Shinobu bowed as she arrived. "We dismissed the troublemakers as you requested. To the less ill tempered, we asked how they intended to pass unnoticed in Russia if they could not treat us with civility. There have been no problems since."

"Good. I apologise for providing such loathsome working conditions. Now if you'll excuse me…"

Lelouch made his way to the parade grounds. There he took stock of the men and women gathered together. Of the two-thousand that he had originally selected, approximately a small sized regiment remained. For the plan he had in mind, that would do just fine. The logistics of it would be the real challenge.

The basics, Lelouch would provide. Aliases with the appropriate paperwork would be easy to obtain. Keeping in contact when dispersed in urban areas would be trivial in the modern age. Funding, well, even if he lacked imperial backing – which he did not – he was rich, and Kallen was obscenely wealthy. He could produce euros and rubles in excess. Provisions would have to be individually managed for a time, but that would be easy enough. They would not often be wandering the countryside.

Engineering would be relatively simple to provide for _after_ the first two or three operations. Lelouch planned for his campaign to be largely self-sustaining. Most of what he lost in equipment he should be able to recoup from Russia. Medical supplies would be the more onerous challenge to obtain, but they should get by well enough for the wounded to safely blend into the swarm of refugees Laertes would surely create on his own campaign.

The one true worry Lelouch had was air power. He would have none. But with that said, Laertes _should_ keep Russia so occupied in Siberia that they would have little to spare. He would be able to dispose of a few wings sent to harass him.

And so the die was cast.

"At ease," Lelouch said. No small number amongst the audience had snapped to attention upon his arrival.

A moment later after the noise had died down, Lelouch began his speech.

"Gentlemen, Ladies, before we begin, I would like to personally welcome you to Area Seventeen and thank Russia for so kindly offering itself to us. I was shocked when I first heard they wished to fight us unaided. The hubris of it! For the last hundred and fifty years, Britannia has demonstrated its undisputed martial superiority to the world in an endless string of victories. Since the founding of our nation, we have thrived on battle, eagerly hastening to the next war to avoid the monotony of peace. We have spent centuries honing our strength and sharpening our minds. Now we rule the largest, most prosperous empire in the history of the world. And Russia believes it can challenge us?" Lelouch scoffed. "I applaud them for their bravery. Rarely do you see a kitten challenge a lion."

A few in the audience laughed, but most bore proud smirks. Lelouch waited a few seconds for the crowd to settle.

"We have just experienced the two most overwhelming victories since the invasion of Area Eleven. Be proud of yourselves. By all rights, we should have lost. The Russians had greater numbers by far. They had more arms. They had the initiative. But no! We drove them back. Against staggering odds, we prevailed. When our mettle was tested, we rose to the challenge and exceeded all expectations. When our sons and daughters plead to hear our war stories, we will proudly speak of valour only the Iceni who repelled the Caesars could match."

Once the cheers had died down, Lelouch continued. "While our brothers and sisters play with the Russians left behind in Area Two, the hard work falls to us. Unfortunately, I must apologise to each and every one of you. It was by chance that I led this counter invasion. Princes Laertes will assume command as soon as he arrives with the remainder of our forces."

Lelouch inwardly smirked at the soft grumbling filling the air. Laertes had no military reputation to his name whatsoever and would likely lean heavily on his staff to conduct the campaign. The rank and file would _loathe_ him. They did so hate when royalty played soldier. Inevitably, tens of thousands of lives were lost for nothing.

"Fortunately," Lelouch said, and the crowd quieted instantly, "the emperor, perhaps negligently, informed me that I may do as I wish after my dearly esteemed brother arrives to carry on our good work. As much as I desire to use this permission to send Prince Laertes home, I fear I must instead settle for a smaller prize.

"Russia is an empire. Make no mistake of that. But it is a monarchy in name only. Their emperor dances at the whim of their parliament as a doll moves under the direction of a child, never daring to speak a word of his own mind or step out of line. As if that mockery of our culture were not enough for their revolution some hundred years ago, they had the gall to install another Caesar. Not an emperor, not an empress, not a king or a queen, but another Czar. It is past time we seek redress for this insult. I wish to bring their worst nightmare to life.

"Over two thousand years ago, Hannibal did the unthinkable. He crossed the Alps. And Rome was caught completely by surprise with the bulk of their legions far away. Then with intimate knowledge of Roman politics and their military commanders, Hannibal delivered defeat after defeat unto the larger Roman armies with brilliant strategy and ingenious deception. He traversed the Apennine Peninsula with impunity and turned the natives to his cause. Ultimately, he suffered defeat only because Carthage recalled him to fight Scipio Africanus's legions in a simpleton's brawl in the desert heat.

"The situation we now find ourselves in is different only in that Prince Laertes cannot possibly bungle so terribly as to put the homeland in jeopardy. Russia is a deeply divided nation. Many of its peoples despise their government more than they do us. Every fire we ignite is one less battalion our brothers and sisters must conquer. Every supply train we intercept, one less wave of ammunition they must evade. Every blow to Russian morale, a powerful weapon we create. We shall be as ghosts haunting and beleaguering the Russian armies. We shall crumble Russia from the inside. We shall extinguish this final legacy of the Roman invaders."

Lelouch raised his voice to speak above the energy in the air. "And so I ask you this. Will you cross the Urals with me? Will you help me finish this war? Will you help me tear down the last legacy of our most ancient enemy?" A moment, and then, "What say you!"

The question was met with roaring assent.

* * *

Jeremiah quietly reflected upon his prince's speech not far away. He would hate to hear it, no doubt, but His Highness's gift for public speaking clearly came from his father. Her Majesty's idea of a motivational speech was more along the lines of 'kill everyone before they kill you'. But then her plans had tended toward the direct, not smuggling hundreds of soldiers across enemy lines as refugees.

When his prince finished explaining some of the finer details of how this operation was intended to work and the meeting was over, Jeremiah fell into step at His Highness's right as usual. From the parade grounds, they were off to join Lady Stadtfeld for dinner in her ward.

"How was I, Jeremiah?"

"I believe your audience answered that question for me." In truth, Jeremiah had found himself enthralled despite having heard the speech delivered several times in practice.

"True. Anything to object to?"

A frown immediately made its way onto Jeremiah's face. Before he could say anything, however, Prince Lelouch added, "Other than how I'm endangering myself and leaving you behind."

Jeremiah snorted. The last two battles had briefly allowed him to delude himself into believing his prince would make his duty easier. His Highness had stayed in perfect safety in the command centre as far from harm as possible during them. And he had, technically speaking, in the sense that it was easier to care for a son who had run away.

The good news, however, was that Lady Stadtfeld would be by His Highness's side at all times outside of battle until they returned. That soothed some of Jeremiah's worry. He would not lie idle, either. His task was to keep tabs on Prince Laertes and relay the movements of the Britannian army. Easy enough, but a false report could be devastating, so the mission required someone of significant standing and unquestionable loyalty, traits he could proudly claim he possessed.

"There's only one thing that comes to mind," Jeremiah finally replied. "I beg of you to stay out of the Balkans." They were notorious for their instability and for ruining the great powers who fought over them.

Prince Lelouch laughed. "On that you may rest easy," he said. "No one ever truly wins there. I'll not be heading that far south."

That gave Jeremiah pause. "Where else did you intend to go? I can't think of anywhere else that so despises Russian imperialism."

"True. I would find ready support in the Balkan states, but it would inevitably drag the remainder of Europe into the war and crush us. Regardless of their own distaste for Russia's imperialism, Western Europe would quail at the slightest hint of the continent at war with itself once more, especially so with how powerful Britannia has grown since The Great War. Perhaps if Russia had outright annexed the Balkans, a healthy dose of nationalist rhetoric would permit the civil war, but it serves no purpose to dwell upon such speculation. There are other allies to be had for those who only care to look."

With no small amount of sarcasm, Prince Lelouch added, "We're only after Siberia, after all. What business is that of European Russians?"

As they passed the mess hall, Jeremiah noticed the oddest sight inside from the corner of his eye. A young woman approximately his prince's age sat with no less than four pizza boxes beside her, one opened and another carelessly discarded. Honestly, what were they coming to these days when soldiers in a war zone could order delivery?

Perhaps more surprising, however, was that someone had dared to fill the order. That was courage worthy of any true Britannian.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
April 17, 2016 a.t.b.**

If Marika were to sum up her first impression of Ashford Academy in a single word, it would be opulence. The school grounds sprawled across vast acres nestled deep within one of the most expensive districts in the area. The buildings were ornate and gorgeous, often at the expense of practicality. A true and proper forest grew tall on the grounds, and the equestrian club had vast plains to ride upon. There was even a stream that ran between the younger and elder students' campuses.

Now a week later, Marika privately theorised that the Ashfords had built a manor for themselves and then, when they had grown too lonely or bored, had decided to open a school.

"Marika! Wait up!"

Said girl paused on her way out of the girls hall. She turned around to see Princess Nunnally skipping toward her through the foyer. She checked her reflexive urge to curtsy at the arrival of royalty. It had been made _very_ clear to her that if she blew the two princesses' cover over social niceties, there would be consequences.

"Milly is throwing an absolute silence party today. Are you free?"

 _What on Earth is an absolute silence party?_ After a moment, Marika realised it must be exactly what it said on the tin. The question she knew she should ask was why anyone would want to host – let alone attend – one. But then this was actually very tame compared to some of the rumours she'd heard concerning the illustrious Milly Ashford's escapades. "Er, maybe next time. I intended to spend the day familiarising myself with the tunnels below campus."

When Princess Nunnally pouted, Marika mumbled a short apology. "I know Lily and Erika said they were free."

"Hmm… Alright. There will be an after party for just us girls tonight if you're done early. We usually have one every other week or so."

"I'll keep it in mind," Marika said.

With that, they parted ways. The princess skipped off toward the grand staircase, and Marika headed to the closest entrance to the underground tunnels. That was another curious aspect of Ashford Academy. The school was remarkably integrated into the Tokyo Settlement's infrastructure. It really had no business being so connected. Two imperial princesses did live on the grounds and their security enjoyed the benefits, but that was mere rationalisation.

Ignoring the mystery that was the academy, Marika entered her password to open the elevator and then descended. With map in hand, she set out to explore the underground. After a time, she came upon a curious chamber. Two massive pipes ran along the ceiling above in parallel. At one end between them, a waterfall roared and crashed into the ground. From there, it flowed in a gentle current out through the opposite wall to who knew where.

Marika navigated the narrow pathway floating atop the underground river. _Lake? Pond?_ Whatever it was, she found her way to the centre.

 _What a singular place. What purpose does this serve? Is this sewer water? It doesn't smell like it. How strange._

"Who are you?"

Marika jumped with a quiet squeak. Turning to one of the other entrances she'd not taken, she found a regal woman dressed casually at the door with an Eleven at her side. She knew at once who this was.

"Princess Marrybell." Marika immediately slipped into the curtsy expected of her, but she felt conflicted. This was the princess who had once tried to kill the emperor. Princess Marrybell had been disowned and exiled, yet she'd survived perhaps the most brutal war in modern history. Kallen had called her a friend, and Marika knew that should be good enough for her, but doubts remained. Still, it would not do to be rude. "Corporal Marika Soresi of the Valkyrie Squad. I serve the vi Britannias. I'm currently assigned to Princess Nunnally's protection."

"Oh, yes. Kallen mentioned taking an interest in you. I assume you're exploring?"

Marika nodded. "If I may ask, what brings you here?" Her gaze shifted to the Eleven. Then disapprovingly, she added, "With company."

A distinct frown appeared on Princess Marrybell's face. "I see why Kallen placed you with Nunnally and Euphemia."

 _What does that mean?_

"Regardless," Princess Marrybell continued, "I've been under some stress over the last few weeks. When Milly invited me to her party tonight, I couldn't refuse."

Before Marika could reply to that, a new voice joined the conversation. "Marrybell? And Suzaku. Good afternoon." The man speaking was another Eleven who apparently also knew the princess.

"Oh, it's you." Princess Marrybell's voice was flat with a tinge of annoyance. She crossed her arms, but neither she nor the Eleven with her – Suzaku, if Marika had heard correctly – adopted a defensive stance. "You have a lot of nerve showing up here after the trouble you caused. I was already working on the Code R problem when you came in and sent everything into chaos."

"Ah… Sorry. I wasn't aware. I received a request from–"

Princess Marrybell held up a hand and interrupted in what Marika presumed was the Eleven's native language. Marika heard her name come up, so she assumed this was a conversation they did not want her to overhear.

How suspicious. Marika wished she had a recording device better and less obvious than her phone.

* * *

Marrybell held up a hand and said, "Wait, Naoto-san. We have a guest." She gestured with her head past the doorway. "Marika Soresi. One of your sister's but not fully inducted."

"I see."

"Anyway, you can apologise to me later. What brings you here?"

Naoto paused a moment in thought before answering. "I intended to speak with Nunnally-chan, but perhaps you can help me. I've been trying to get in contact with Lelouch-kun."

"He's at war," Marrybell said. "He was in Japan for a few days a couple weeks ago, but he's otherwise been on local networks only. He did give me an emergency number to contact while he's in Europe. I don't believe he's deep enough to have Russian cell service yet, however."

Naoto frowned and sank into thought.

"I can pass on a message for you," Marrybell offered.

"Hmm… Very well. Probably for the best if I have a buffer between me and Lelouch-kun."

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"Ah, well, it's more what I didn't do," Naoto mumbled. He pulled a phone from his pocket and tapped the screen a few times. "Nevermind that, though. I obtained some security footage during the Code R raid that you need to see to believe. I'm not sure what to do with it. I have no reason to sit on it, but…"

 _But you have no reason to give it to Britannia, either._ Marrybell sighed to herself. Having a cordial relationship with an enemy was so…complex. Lelouch had made her life far too complicated. "Show it to me. That's what you're here for, right?"

Naoto shrugged and handed Marrybell his phone with the video primed to play. The moment she saw the still imagine, her eyes shot open. She recognised that face.

* * *

 **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
Nakano Ghetto, Area 11  
March 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

Life was full of irony. Perhaps some would call it fate. Naoto referred to it as his birthright catching up to him.

It felt fitting, almost – a twisted comeuppance. He _had_ been glad to dodge responsibility for millions as the Earl of New York and had been eager to leave politics to his sister. Now Naoto ultimately found himself leading an organisation responsible for the same in far more trying circumstances.

Kallen had been somewhat generous with the truth when she said no one cared what numbers did to each other, but Britannian apathy extended surprisingly far. As the ghettos slowly organised one by one under his direction into nearly tolerable and half-safe places to live, Naoto forever expected a Britannian regiment to sweep through and reduce all of their hard work to rubble. Perhaps it was the lack of any overt sign of armament that stayed their hand. They were, for the moment, a mostly peaceful quasi-governmental organisation. It helped that the Battle of Shinjuku had scared off the more casual Britannian troublemakers – for now at least.

But the whispers spread far in advance of their direct influence even without further military action. The stories grew more exaggerated with every retelling. Naoto had once listened to a man in a bar tell him that Kōzuki-sama had come within inches of slaying Princess Marrybell herself in a fist fight. The Black Queen, they said, was a spirit of vengeance risen by the cry of motherless babes to reclaim Japan.

Rather unusually, the stories Britannians told each other came the nearer to actual truth. Not that anyone believed such obvious propaganda meant to undermine the Japanese victory.

That was the greatest irony of it all. Naoto knew he and his organisation were good for the Japanese living in the ghettos. They brought positive change. They were even welcomed to rule. Their power came from a mandate from the masses. And yet they derived and justified their rule not through elections, not through good works, not through any connection to the previous government, not even through the archaic notion of divine right, but from victory, from their perceived strength and ability to win.

Might made right. The most fit ruled. It was such a Britannian notion.

A knock came at the door to Naoto's office. Ito Yui, his secretary – and how strange it felt to have one – stuck her head in. "Kōzuki-sama, there's a woman here to see you. She doesn't have an appointment but said you would know her. She was…ehem…armed."

Naoto quirked his eyebrows. "With what?"

"What wasn't she?" Ito mumbled just loud enough to hear. She then answered, "Kunai, smoke bombs, needles, wire, poison, chloroform, and a…" She snapped her fingers, searching for a word. "A rapier. That's what she called it."

 _Sounds like a shinobi._ Naoto was only acquainted with one, but he did know who would likely employ another. _A rapier, though? That's more Kallen's thing. Still._ "Send her in."

A minute later, a wave of nostalgia swept over Naoto. It took him a moment to place the face, but he recognised the woman. Although why she was still wearing a maid cap, he had no idea.

"Kōzuki-sama," said Shinozaki Sayoko. She bowed low in respect. "I require your assistance."

* * *

 **A/N:** Lelouch's portrayal of the Second Punic War is simplistic and not _entirely_ accurate in either our universe or his, but he claims artistic license and does have a fair point. Regardless, the Romans feared Hannibal (and Carthage by extension) with good reason. So much so, even, that Cato the Elder developed a habit of ending all of his speeches, no matter how relevant (and more often _not_ ), with "And I also think Carthage should be destroyed". Britannia, as you might expect, reveres Hannibal almost as much as their own hero kings and queens. That said, they _do_ still have a healthy respect for the Greek in general.

Also, if you haven't noticed yet, European history has diverged rather significantly from our world since the French Revolution. It already had, of course, but the process progressed even further after Britannia was booted from European affairs.

Anyway, that's the end of the first half of the Siberia Arc. Next we're going to roll back the clock a little for the Code R Arc and its fallout. Although that arc is halfway plotted out, updates might be slow in coming. Life has gotten busy again.

P.S. C.C. involving herself in, well, just about anything is really going to screw with Kallen. C.C. is more or less a walking, ceaseless disruption to the timeline without any apparent cause.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general. And yes, I'm aware the site name is spelt wrong. 'Tis a forbidden word.


	15. R1 S14 - One Small Favour

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 14 - One Small Favour

 **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
Nakano Ghetto, Area 11  
March 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Kōzuki-sama," said Shinozaki Sayoko. She bowed low in respect. "I require your assistance."

For a moment, Naoto stared at the very much _not_ dead woman standing before him. He blinked and shook his head slightly, but she was still there. A ghost of the past, she might be, but not a trick of the light. Hopefully, she had not come here to haunt him.

"Well…I'll see what I can do," Naoto said at a loss for any other words. He gestured with a hand and offered, "Please be seated?" That should not have come off as a question, but it had. He cleared his throat. "Are you aware that Lelouch-kun has been looking for you for years now?"

"I assumed so, yes."

Since no elaboration proved forthcoming, Naoto asked, "Why have you been avoiding him, then?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. I apologise if my presence here has put you in an awkward position."

Naoto quietly sighed. This had the potential to spiral into something that went beyond mere awkwardness. "I suppose I should ask the obvious question. Are you still an imperial agent?"

"I am." The admission came without hesitation or concern. "I also have no interest nor obligation to report your activities."

 _Right…_

No one would ever believe this.

 _Let's examine just how wrong this situation is. Shinozaki-san is a Britannian spy. She somehow waltzed into the heart of our pseudo government uncontested. She's here to ask for the rebellion's aid. She's not going to inform the authorities. She's not simply turning to the OSI or Lelouch-kun for assistance. Oh, and to top it all off, of course, I'm the vastly underqualified, renounced aristocratic leader of the Japanese rebellion operating with the tacit consent of perhaps the single most dangerous prince._

Naoto breathed deeply.

 _Okay._

Absurdity had the delightful property of being easier to ignore the more intensely it expressed itself. Now there was only one thing to do. There was but one solitary rational course of action any sane man could pursue.

"Would you care for some tea?" Naoto offered. Though they be beset by war, by poverty, by sickness, and by atrocity, though they be divided by race, by belief, by circumstance, and by loyalty, all would not be lost while the basic courtesies, honour, and tea endured.

Shinozaki smiled and nodded. She might very well have chuckled, even. "That would be most appreciated, Kōzuki-sama."

"Japanese or Britannian?" A silent cheer rose in Naoto's mind when Shinozaki asked for the latter. It had been far too long since he'd last shared a good cuppa with company. He briefly excused himself to see to its preparation. All the gods, both new and old, knew no one here but he could brew a proper cup of Britannian tea. He'd sooner die than show such poor hospitality in providing anything less, much less settle for it himself.

Sometime later, Naoto returned with all the necessities. He handed Shinozaki her cup and saucer, placed the milk and sugar on his desk between them, and then finally retook his seat. A lifetime of discarded traditions passed in those few silent moments as they each prepared their tea as they wished and exchanged polite conversation.

A smile crossed his face as Naoto remembered Kallen once balancing a still steaming teacup atop her head at their home in Hinode. For the life of him, he could not recall what had possessed her to do so. Regardless, it had not ended well.

"What is it?" Shinozaki asked, and Naoto shared his story. She very clearly hid a smile behind her cup and then went on to tell a story of her own involving tea, rope, one more dress than was appropriate, and a very angry prince.

"How did you acquire the addiction?" Naoto asked, gesturing to the teapot with his head. Britannian tea had never been popular in Japan. The only person here he personally knew who shared even half his love was Sugiyama, and despite appearances, he, too, was half Britannian, although with a far less pleasant childhood.

"Milly-sama often insisted I join her when partaking. She is hard to deny, and the habit grew on me."

"'Hard to deny'?" Naoto said, chuckling. "My sister would use stronger words, I believe."

"Imposing?" Shinozaki suggested with a small grin.

"Domineering, perhaps?"

"Energetic."

"Tyrannous."

Shinozaki's veneer of detachment finally cracked at that. She laughed, and Naoto joined her. Oh, how he had missed this particular vein of conversation.

But it was not to last. As they laughed, Naoto met Shinozaki's eye, and the moment passed. Nostalgia had had its time, albeit far too shortly. Present affairs now reigned, and so Naoto set down his cup and spoke.

"Before we discuss why you've come, am I correct in assuming that if I call Lelouch-kun, you will leave?"

"That would put me in a difficult position, Kōzuki-sama. I think it would be best for everyone if you did not place such a call."

A shiver ran down Naoto's spine. Despite the pleasant smile and easy tone, he recognised the threat for what it was. The stakes were unknown – very likely low, in fact – but he knew better than to call a shinobi's bluff. He sipped from his teacup.

"May I at least ask a few questions on Lelouch-kun's behalf?"

Shinozaki considered that for a moment. She then said, "So long as you understand I may choose not to answer."

That was probably the best Naoto was going to get, so he accepted the terms as they were. "What can you tell me about Empress Marianne's death?"

"Nothing that Lelouch-sama could not."

Naoto blew out a short puff of air, and Shinozaki offered an apologetic smile.

"Can you at least tell me if you witnessed it?"

"Hmm… Very well. I did not."

 _That…sounds like a half-truth._ "Were you ever at the scene at the time of the crime?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Do you know why Her Majesty was at Aries Palace?"

"I cannot answer that."

Naoto sighed in exasperation. "Who killed her?"

"I cannot answer that."

Naoto buried his face in a hand and massaged his temples. He wilfully ignored the amused smile he caught between his fingers on Shinozaki's face as she sipped her tea.

"I'm sorry I cannot be more helpful, Kōzuki-sama, especially when I have come to beg succour. I can offer you this, at least. It is Empress Marianne's orders that bind my tongue."

 _Interesting, I suppose, but not very informative. It doesn't surprise me that Her Majesty left contingency plans for her death. Maybe Lelouch-kun will be able to make more of it._

"Thank you anyway," Naoto said while making no secret of his disappointment. He made a mental note to call Lelouch after whatever business Shinozaki had with him was finished. "Perhaps you should explain what brought you here. You said you needed my help?"

All levity fled Shinozaki's face as she adopted a solemn expression. "Indeed I do. A very delicate and volatile situation has developed. The sort whose consequences might ripple out across the entire globe should it not be resolved carefully."

Naoto hesitated. In theory, the liberation of Japan would have such an effect itself if he ever got that far, but _here and now_ he was yet untested and ill-prepared for such weighty matters. "How significant do you mean?"

In perfect severity, Shinozaki replied, "Potentially on the scale of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand."

 _Well, fuck._ That was not something Naoto could ignore. "Before you reveal what I'm sure is classified information, are you sure you need _my_ help?"

Shinozaki nodded. "I have been unable to resolve the situation myself, and asking the emperor for direct assistance would present…difficulties. He is, however, aware of the situation and has tasked me with resolving it by any means necessary."

"Don't you come from a clan of shinobi?" Naoto pressed. "Why not go to them?"

After several long silent seconds had passed, to Naoto's surprise, Shinozaki actually answered the question. "One of Her Majesty's more persistent enemies might notice if I did and discover my purpose in doing so. Suffice it to say, for the moment, that this would be very bad."

Considering the scale of 'bad' they were operating on, Naoto took that at face value. "Very well. Brief me, and then we'll go from there."

"Thank you."

Naoto blinked as Shinozaki pulled a thick file from nowhere and placed it on his desk. He caught the slightest hint of a smirk pass over her face. Perhaps, he wondered, shinobi did this sort of thing just for their own amusement.

But with that behind them, Shinozaki opened the file, withdrew a photo of a green haired girl about Kallen's age, and passed it to Naoto. She then said, "Recently, Prince Clovis captured a friend of Her Majesty's. She goes by C.C. when not undercover."

Naoto searched his memory of what little he knew of Empress Marianne's court and came up with nothing pertaining to the woman in the picture. But then that was not surprising given that Shinozaki had implied C.C. often went in disguise. He then asked, "Who is she exactly that you're comparing her to the archduke? She's not secretly the crown princess, is she?"

"Not exactly. She's of great personal significance to the emperor and Her Majesty–"

 _Oh, fantastic._

"–but she's not a member of the imperial family." As an afterthought, Shinozaki added, "Nor a mistress of either, I believe." She focused inwardly for a moment before continuing. "Regardless, the issue is not with her imprisonment so much as what has been done to her and by who."

Considering which prince had her, Naoto guessed, "Raped?"

"No."

"She's been tortured?" Naoto asked in surprise. His gaze fell back onto the picture. Britannia had a strange, flirtatious history with civil rights that tended to embarrass the EU, but C.C. fit the right profile to have her civil rights taken for granted, namely she looked Britannian enough. What pretext could Prince Clovis have possibly used to justify torture?

And then the two little words Shinozaki uttered, "Far worse," caught up with Naoto, and that made this whole mess a great deal more damning.

"Who is involved?" Naoto dreaded the answer.

"Although to differing extents, much of the highest level of authority in the prince's administration including both General Asprius and the Duke of Tokyo, Lord Calares."

 _Bollocks! That can't be hidden, and that big of a power bloc won't go quietly._

Worse, if Prince Clovis and his inner circle were removed, his successor would be, if not openly antagonistic, then at minimum no friend to the corrupt local administration. That could and probably _would_ result in the ruin of them all. It would be all too easy to convince them to secede from the empire, especially with the leaders of the local military already involved. Japan possessed the natural resources and wealth necessary to be a strong, independent nation. If the prince discovered his offence was known, he would surely split from the empire to escape the emperor's wrath, and that would never do. War would be inevitable.

But a far more terrible consequence loomed. The ensuing civil war would be no Second Pacific War. With knightmares on both sides, the rest of the world would have time to mobilise. The Chinese Federation would join the fray next with the exiled Sawasaki at the head of a 'liberation' army. _And then_ when the EU finally managed to mobilise through Russia, it would never consent to be left out of the battle for the majority of the world's sakuradite. All three superpowers would clash in a war that would quickly embroil the entire world. Japan would be lucky to make it out the other end as anything more than a smoking crater.

Naoto breathed deep in an attempt to regain his calm and professionalism, yet it was still a terrified man with the fate of not just Japan in his hands who said, "Thank you for answering my questions. I now understand the severity of the situation, but I want to be fully on the same page." He could guess, but he had to know for sure. "Why did you come to me in particular?"

"Three reasons. First, you are less threatening to Prince Clovis than, say, the JLF. He will be less liable to make untoward decisions chasing some no-name terrorist who got lucky."

Cold, brutal, and yet not logic Naoto could fault.

"Rest assured that he and everyone involved will not escape this unscathed. You must understand, however, that some time will be required for the emperor's displeasure or justice, whichever you prefer to name it, to reach them."

Naoto nodded.

"Second, we know each other, and I know you to be a man of honour and learning, so you would be more likely than anyone else who _can_ help to actually consider doing so. I also won't have to lie to you."

 _Just not answer all of my questions,_ Naoto wryly commented to himself.

"Lastly, although you do not yet know it, you have a personal stake in this matter."

Now that came as a surprise. "How so?"

"C.C.-sama offers a unique form of protection for Lelouch-sama and Kallen-sama from the enemy of Her Majesty's I mentioned earlier."

Naoto's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Kallen is my sister!" Naoto protested.

"My apologies, Kōzuki-sama, but I cannot tell you. Even if I did, you are in no position to do anything for her that she could not do herself. I may, however, point out that the longer we delay action, the more likely your sister's state of vulnerability is to be noticed." Shinozaki gestured to the open file on the desk between them. "If you wish to help her, your path is clear."

Naoto glared at Shinozaki, but she sat impassive and unaffected. In hindsight, he would later admit he had no idea how he had expected that to work against a shinobi.

"Fine," Naoto conceded with a huff. "So we need to rescue the girl, ensure the architects don't feel threatened by the emperor, and then go to ground for a few months until a series of 'accidents' occur. Does that sum up the situation?"

"In broad strokes, yes."

"Alright. Let me gather my chief staff. We can discuss the details with them. If you'll excuse me, I'll have Ito-san show you to the lounge, such as it is."

A few minutes later, Naoto knocked on the door to Kaname's office. He'd taken the intervening time to reflect and consider how exactly to broach the news, but he had no idea how to blunt the impact. Straight and direct it would be.

"Come in." The very instant Naoto stepped inside, Kaname said, "You've got that look on your face. What is it this time? Did Prince Schneizel stop by for tea?"

Naoto tried to laugh at the joke to little effect. It struck too close to truth. "Not exactly," he said. "Are you ready to do your duty for king and country?"

A groan accompanied the sound of Kaname slapping a hand to his forehead. "You do realise you're the only Britannian citizen here, right?"

That was not true. There were probably a one or two honourary Britannian spies around giving their reports. Shinozaki almost certainly had proper citizenship as well and not the half status Britannia so graciously bestowed upon unnaturalised colonials. Naoto opened his mouth, but Kaname spoke first.

"I don't want to hear your quibbles. Just tell me what's going on."

"We have a big problem." Naoto summarised the relevant parts of his conversation with Shinozaki.

"Why couldn't it have just been Prince Schneizel and tea?" Kaname muttered.

Naoto forewent mentioning that there had, in fact, been tea.

"So I get that a big war centred on Japan is bad and that Prince Clovis is in a bad spot, but explain to me why the entire Area Eleven government would rebel."

"Because if they don't, they'll be in nearly as much trouble with the next viceroy. I admit it's not a sure thing. Loyalty to the crown might win out. But it's not a gamble worth taking. Humans are well known to take extreme measures to avoid ruin, and corruption is _already_ rampant here without desperate need spurring it on."

"Here?" Kaname quirked his eyebrows. "Why does that matter? Britannia is corrupt _everywhere_."

"It's not," Naoto said, but that came across wrong, and Kaname rightly gave him an odd look. "Let me rephrase that. Ethically, no question. But politically, especially in the homeland, what _they_ call corruption is remarkably absent. Britannians take their honour and public service very seriously.

"Here, though, it's a mess. I'll not get into why. It's mostly to do with our early surrender with half our strength and resources intact.

"Anyway, Lelouch-kun and I talked politics when he was last here. He's convinced the local administration will self-destruct without intervention in a few years. According to him, the viceroy is either a lucky fool or a covert genius for being able to cope with the corruption. But Prince Clovis is a temperate man willing to play by the unwritten rules. If he goes, who do you think his successor would be?"

Kaname gave the question some thought. "Well, she's not exactly in favour at court, if I recall correctly, but there would be no one better qualified than Princess Marrybell."

"Exactly." Or if not Marrybell then another equally dangerous royal. "She's the principle voice pushing the viceroy to stabilise the area and end the corruption. Everyone knows it, and she's…motivated." There were less kind but perhaps more precise words available. Naoto had only met her the once, but there was a dangerous hatred bottled up inside. He should know; he saw it everyday in the ghettos. "There would be no clemency on her crusade."

"Hmm. Fair enough. What guarantee do we have that we won't be taken out immediately after rescuing the girl?"

"The entire point of our involvement is to take the fall, _not get caught_ , and keep Prince Clovis and his friends busy hunting us. Being dead or crippled doesn't serve the latter two."

"So we won't have to worry until after they're gone," Kaname mused. "Well, I can't say I'm eager to do the emperor's dirty work for him, but if you think this is the right path, then so be it."

Naoto gave a thankful smile. He was sure he could convince everyone to follow his lead as usual, but it always helped to have his second in command already on his side. This mission was going to be a hard enough sell without the extra resistance.

* * *

"And that's the situation we find ourselves in," Naoto concluded. He carefully observed the reactions of his chief staff.

Kaname was on board, of course. Inoue, head of engineering, looked sceptical but prepared. Minami, head of intelligence, had glanced around the table and had since adopted a resigned expression. Sugiyama, commander of the special forces, nevermind that they were also the _only_ forces, clearly wanted to bang his head against a wall.

Lastly, there was Yoshida Tōru, head of logistics. He was a relatively new addition now that they had enough logistics to manage to justify a position solely dedicated to the task. He looked at Naoto as though an alien had descended from the sky. And had Inoue's eyes just flicked to him with a mischievous twinkle?

 _Bollocks._

Naoto knew he would regret it long before he opened his mouth, yet he still said, "I open the floor to discussion."

"My Lord Stadtfeld," Inoue began, "should we call in the prince and the countess or the princess to aid in the fulfilment of this patriotic duty for the homeland? Our interests seem very aligned. They wouldn't want Britannia to lose control of its colony."

Naoto heaved a sigh. These jests were kept in private, so no harm done, and with no malice intended, they hardly bothered him, but he had to wonder when they would finally end. He'd once been so optimistic.

"Inoue-san, that is grossly inappropriate." Naoto's thankful smile turned to a scowl as Kaname's betrayal become clear. "The countess is Lady Stadtfeld and most definitely not married to her own brother. Address Lord Naoto properly."

"Oh! My apologies, Lord Naoto. I didn't mean to imply anything so perverse. Please forgive me, My Lord."

It was at that point that those two broke down into giggles. Even the ever serious Minami had a small smile. Sugiyama then, of course, decided to add his own cheek.

"Shouldn't that be 'Master of New York'? I mean, he's the heir apparent until his sister has kids, isn't he? Unless I remember incorrectly, that's how _Night at Balmoral_ would have put it."

"I hate all of you," Naoto deadpanned. Privately, he did admit that a little levity was not uncalled for. Controlling the fate of all Japan was new territory for them that needed some easing into. "And for your information, one, I'm the heir _presumptive_. Two, I can't believe you enjoy manor dramas. Three, Britannian forms of address changed radically after Napoleon removed them from Europe and they lost all the estates attached to their titles. Four, it's Lord Naoto, you commoner filth."

After the laughter died down, Naoto said, "Inoue-san, to answer your question, no. If their involvement were discovered, the ruse would be broken. We cannot risk that. Moreover, Marrybell-san and Lelouch-kun have their own agenda, and I'd rather not throw a spanner in the works."

Inoue nodded in acceptance, but now that the shock had faded, the floodgates opened. Naoto found himself under siege with questions ranging from how an imperial agent had managed to get into his office to how he expected them to be able to liberate such a high profile prisoner without bringing the full wrath of Britannia down upon the ghettos. He answered the ones he could, but once they'd reduced the list to operational questions, he called for their guest to join the meeting.

"Everyone, this is Shinozaki Sayoko, the one who brought this request to us. She used to work for the Flash as a shinobi."

"What, like a real one?"

In a blink, a dull thump sounded throughout the room. A small lock of Yoshida's hair drifted down to fall onto his lap. Embedded in the wall behind him was a kunai. Shinozaki, of course, stood next to Naoto with an innocent expression on her face.

"I withdraw my question."

Naoto glanced at Shinozaki and raised his eyebrows, silently asking, "Was that necessary?"

She merely smiled slightly.

 _How did she even get that past security? Urgh, whatever._ "I'll leave it to Shinozaki-san to explain from here."

"Thank you, Kōzuki-sama," Shinozaki said as Naoto took his seat. "Before I begin, I know my clan's loyalty to the vi Britannias must come as an affront. I would like to express my appreciation for your indulgence despite this. I do not consider myself a patriotic woman, nor do I aspire to be one. I offer my allegiance to individuals, not nations. But even one such as I does not desire to see the land of my birth permanently removed from the map. In this I hope we find what solidarity we may for the coming trial."

After a few moments of reflective silence, Sugiyama cleared his throat for attention. He then said, "This is perhaps the strangest, most contradictory resistance group in history yet somehow the most productive. I see nothing incongruous with working alongside you, Shinozaki-san."

A few self-aware laughs proceeded the rest of the group's concurrence. Naoto quietly breathed a sigh of relief even as he smiled at Sugiyama's remark. They were too far along to properly fit the description anymore, but he personally still liked to think of themselves as a ragtag band of obviously unqualified heroes.

"I'll be in your care," Shinozaki said with a slight bow. "Kōzuki-sama, the file, please. Thank you." She opened it, sorted the contents into several smaller piles, and then held up a familiar picture. "To begin, our goal is to effect the rescue of this woman, C.C.-sama. She's held in Prince Clovis's custody in a lab in Kokubunji, although many others are equally involved in her detainment for the Code R project."

Shinozaki set the photo down and met the gaze of each and every person present in turn as she spoke. "This mission will not be for the light of heart, and it must be done as swiftly as possible. Torture, death, disease – all manner of terrible things are old friends, but what I saw while infiltrating the site horrified even one such as I. Code R is a research project involving the vilest, unceasing human experimentation on their solitary test subject."

Nausea and anger stormed through the room. C.C. might not be Japanese – she might very well be Britannian – but there were lines that should never be crossed. It was Inoue who finally gave voice to the obvious question.

"Why C.C.-san?"

Rather than the half-expected 'I cannot answer that', Shinozaki said, "A rare quirk of biology makes her more suitable for the procedures." As she added, "Please don't ask me to embarrass myself attempting to explain," she gave a thin, weary smile.

 _Curious. Perhaps this isn't the first time she's given this briefing?_ Shrugging away the thought, Naoto asked, "Will we be physically able to remove C.C.-san alive from the facilities?"

Shinozaki nodded. "Since penetrating deep enough past security, I've been sabotaging the more…onerous experiments. She may or may not be up to walking, but she will be stable enough to escape."

"How far have you gotten past security?" Sugiyama asked.

A hint of pride underlaid Shinozaki's reply. "I have spoken with C.C.-sama during one of her more lucid moments."

Sugiyama whistled, impressed. "Do you really even need us?"

"I do indeed. Unfortunately, security is too tight to extract C.C.-sama without conflict. I can get her out of the building, but then I would have to face knightmares."

"Ah. How many?"

Shinozaki pulled a thick stack of paper from one of her piles. The stack proved to be a single large sheet as she unfolded it into a heavily annotated map. From context, Naoto assumed the large grounds displayed detailed the research facility holding C.C.. Hand drawn and colour coded across the entire map were times, schedules, and routes. Several doors, he noted, even had what appeared to be combinations written beside them.

"Amazing!"

"Damn…"

"How?"

"What do these numbers here mean?"

Shinozaki leaned over to glance at the digits in question. "Ah, that door requires a set of fingerprints I acquired. Any of those labels will do."

Although he tried not to show it outwardly, Naoto was beyond impressed. Even Minami looked blown away. An envious curse passed his lips. If this was the standard quality of a single shinobi's work, he could only imagine the talent Lelouch no doubt commanded.

"And these here are patrol routes?"

Shinozaki nodded.

"And this squiggly line?"

"That one has an irregular schedule and requires a wide margin of error if it cannot be avoided entirely. One of the men on rotation is frequently late or early."

"I think I'm in love," Sugiyama deadpanned as he pored over the map. "This operation is going to be so much easier to plan than I thought. How many knightmares do they have on hand?"

"Not as many as they might, I suspect," Shinozaki said. "The army has yet to recoup the purists' losses and so is a little low on equipment. The hangers are south of the central compound. To blend in, they're not well fortified, but as there are eyes everywhere to compensate, I've not risked exploring them."

"This map is true to scale?" Inoue asked. When she received a nod, she continued, "Then judging by the size, I personally wouldn't try to pack more than thirty knightmares into them. My maintenance team would be up in arms."

"That's manageable if we _must_ engage them in battle," Sugiyama said. "Assuming we don't linger long enough for reinforcements to arrive. But I'd rather 'smash and grab', so to speak, be our primary strategy. You mentioned you could get C.C.-san outside?"

"I can," Shinozaki said, "but I would tip my hand in doing so. I am not unknown to the viceroy. If you ask it of me, another team will need to destroy the site's surveillance records while I secure C.C.-sama."

A thought occurred, and Naoto asked, "Should we destroy the research data as well? It might discourage them from trying this again."

Shinozaki turned inward to hold a debate with herself for a time. Eventually, she replied, "If it is convenient. I would, however, prefer you first obtain a copy of the data and then let C.C.-sama decide what to do with it after she's had some time to distance herself from the experience."

"That's fair." Naoto turned in silent question to his chief engineer.

Inoue gnawed on her lip in thought. "If we intend to be in and out as quickly as possible, the best I can promise you is to steal all the hard drives and SSDs. Given the horrific nature of the experiments, I'd imagine they store everything hidden on site. I will need to get into the system first, though, to find out where everything important is. Also along that line, assuming the research team isn't comprised of drooling monkeys, they'll have the data encrypted. Without the passwords, the drives would just be macabre doorstops."

"I have a few passwords already and could obtain more before or after the assault," Shinozaki offered.

"Ah…" Naoto hesitated a moment to bring up one of the more delicate questions concerning the operation, but it had to be addressed. "About that. Fighting armed guards and soldiers is one thing, but what about the research team and staff? I would usually argue vehemently to avoid civilian casualties at all costs, but…"

Shinozaki spoke in a icy voice, sharp and succinct, before anyone else could voice their opinion. "I've submitted a list of each and every name involved to the emperor. Any casualties incurred will only advance the date of their execution." Then as quickly as it came, the chill abated. "I appreciate your ethics, Kōzuki-sama. They're one of the reasons I came to you. But lofty principles oft do not well weather purpose. Let not the integrity of the raid suffer for our own."

Naoto exchanged a glance with Kaname, the quiet observer. Military matters were not his forte. Most of his time was spent overseeing education. In moments such as this, he served as an outside perspective. And in this particular moment, he offered a resigned shrug.

And so Naoto said, "I understand, but we do have not only a reputation to uphold but an example to set. Justly or not, hundreds of thousands of people look to us for guidance and follow our lead. As much as possible without sacrificing efficacy, I wish to minimise the damage we do. At the very least, we must not involve bystanders in neighbouring buildings."

Shinozaki considered that for a time. "I understand your position," she conceded. The others soon expressed their agreement. She then volunteered, "Most of the other labs nearby tend to keep to traditional business hours. A weekend would be ideal for the operation."

"Thank you. Now then" – as Kallen had once told Naoto to do – "let's take five minutes to discuss what _needs_ to happen during this rescue and what major resistance and obstacles we can expect."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
March 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

"This is an outage! They have broken all bonds of fellowship!"

Euphemia politely smiled and nodded along as Milly decried Lelouch and Kallen for the slight of not coming to Ashford for the latter's birthday. With the varyingly reluctant assistance of the rest of the student council, she then set about plotting 'justice' over lunch.

Through the ensuing discussion, Euphemia found her thoughts more often than not attempting to piece together the _why_ behind Lelouch and Kallen's absence. They had left for Area Two to ski, which was unusual in and of itself: skiing trips were winter family affairs. And as Milly had emphatically pointed out, they'd also not given a proper reason to run off on their own to celebrate Kallen's birthday.

Something big was brewing.

There was the idea that Rivalz had casually thrown out. Perhaps Lelouch intended to propose the very moment Kallen attained her majority. If it were anyone else, Euphemia would give some small credence to it. Even if they were a little young for such things, it would be a wonderfully romantic overture, a fine gesture of gallantry.

 _There's no way. Those two aren't…sweet. They're…dramatic. Theatrical. They wouldn't do something as momentous as getting engaged on a peaceful holiday so far away from everyone and everything._ Euphemia silently chuckled to herself. _If they could get away with it, they'd want to be engaged and married in the midst of a single battle when all hope seems lost._

Sadly, those two were too pragmatic for proper romance. Euphemia blew a puff of air out her nose. _If they ever do get engaged, it will be with much pageantry. Anything to help put Lelouch on the throne, I'm sure. And if Kallen were to be empress_ – and what a peculiar thought that was; Euphemia still struggled with the prospect of referring to Lelouch as 'His Majesty' – _then all the better to be…flamboyant. The more people sing her praises, the more powerful the surprise when it comes out she's a half-blood._

Euphemia snorted in silence. _Politics._ But if nothing else, it did fit Lelouch and Kallen's sense of humour. _I hope they never sacrifice too much of themselves_ – or others – _for their ambition. I suppose it's everyone else's job to ensure they don't._ And there were plenty of people who would do just that, herself included. With a sigh, she turned her thoughts to more immediate concerns.

 _So what mischief are those two up to now? If they were in trouble with Father, it would be far more obvious. But…perhaps he saw what they did here and sent them to do something similar? Nonette_ is _with them._

Euphemia considered that for a moment but ultimately shook her head. Area Two was one of, if not _the_ , most stable areas in the empire. There were no radicals for any cause. Legal Twos were ever rarer than Ones. Although she paid little attention to such affairs, she'd also not heard of anyone particularly important leaving for or living in the area. To all appearances, Lelouch and Kallen really were just on a skiing trip. They had even sent pictures. It baffled the mind.

Eventually, the impromptu student council meeting came to an end with Euphemia no closer to an answer than before. The group finished eating and went back to their final classes for the week. Euphemia had maths and chemistry, which were straightforward enough, and then history at the end of the day. The latter was neither her best nor favourite subject, but it certainly was intriguing to experience the non-royal version focused more on the what and the why than the how.

"Hey. Hey, Euphie."

Euphemia sent a questioning hum Shirley's way as she copied the last of today's notes on the formation of Germany from the board.

"Nina wasn't paying attention again in physics."

"She of all people hardly needs to," Euphemia said without much thought. She pressed the rubber of her pencil to her lip. _Hmm… Otto von Bismarck might have been a better diplomat than even Schneizel. By all rights, Austria should have–_

"No, I mean she wasn't paying attention to _anyone_. She was barely with us at lunch, too, and now that I think about it, yesterday had a few warning signs. I think you need to pull her out of her own little world again."

"Oh. Yes, I can do that." Nina did need someone to pull her out of her research every so often. "Do you know where she is?"

"Last I saw, she was headed toward the clubhouse."

"So probably in her lair. I'll be off, then. See you later tonight."

After parting ways with Shirley, Euphemia set off on a stroll across campus to the student council building with the expectation of arriving in about an hour. Nina's research binge was not an urgent concern, and she had other issues to address. Milly was, well, Milly, so students brought their problems to their vice president and their mad schemes to their president.

Indeed, Euphemia had no sooner stepped outside than a crowd of students mobbed her. She held up a hand, and the tumult ceased. "Miya, you first."

One of the swimming club members stepped forward. "Euphyllia, we need proper locks on the girls locker room."

 _Oh, dear._ "What happened?"

"That damnable new club stole a few of our swimsuits and won't give them back!"

Euphemia quirked her eyebrows. "Which new club do you mean?"

"The bloody Fantasy Seduction Club!"

It came only through a Herculean effort, but Euphemia resisted pinching the bridge of her nose.

* * *

 _No, that's not right either. Unbounded solutions are bad._

Nina crumpled another sheet of paper with dead end equations and tossed it into the rubbish bin behind her. She quickly grabbed a new one and tried again with an altered approach.

 _Argh! No, that doesn't work either. Why can't infinity mean 'infinite energy' instead of 'uncontrolled explosion'?_

She was so close to a breakthrough. Her work in no way translated into a physical product, but proving something _could_ be done in theory was the first step.

 _Sakuradite is practically phlebotinum. Why can't I make it do what I want? It's not like I'm asking for cold fusion. I only want safe, stable fission. Where am I going wrong that I keep falling into the clean city removal trap?_

Nina picked up her steaming cup of tea and sipped. Bitter yet creamy, exactly as she liked.

 _Hmm, what if I added silver to the chamber? Silver can suffer a lot of abuse before undergoing fission._

With a mechanical pencil in one hand and a rubber in the other, Nina altered a series of numbers in her equations and squeezed a few more variables into the margins. She then set about updating the results.

 _That…could work, but – mmm, chocolate – that would just slow down the explosion or make the reaction_ too _stable. I guess that's a step in the right direction. What if I changed–_

Biscuits did not well rub out pencil, it seemed. Although that left Nina with two questions. First, where had her rubber gone? Second, where had the biscuit come from? And when, actually. And upon reflection, the tea at her right was also a mystery.

"Good afternoon, Nina."

"Eek!" With nowhere to hide, Nina shrunk into herself in a feeble attempt to vanish, but she fooled no one, not even herself. "G-g-good afternoon." That was the best she could manage with her face flushed down to her neck. "How – how long… Um, good afternoon, Euphie." And now she felt like banging her head against her desk. Could she be any more pathetic?

"Would you mind if I asked you for advice?"

"Huh? Advice? Me?" Now more confused than flustered, Nina said, "If I can help, I'd be happy to."

"Thank you! I've been feeling a little unsure the past few months and could use an outside perspective. Have I ever told you why I joined the student council?"

Nina shook her head. Rather timidly, she confessed, "I joined because Prez told me I was the Student Secretary for Science. I thought, well…"

Euphie buried a laugh and a smile behind a hand. "That does sound like something Milly would do. If I hadn't asked her for the vice presidency, I expect my life would look no different."

"The role well suits you," Nina offered for lack of anything else to say.

"Oh, I know that, but thank you all the same. Regardless, I asked for the position knowing that Milly's reign over our…equally trying student body would involve endless administration against adversity. Or rather I asked for it because of that. This was an irreplaceable opportunity, you see. My family is…protective of me. Not without reason, of course, but it can become very stifling. As the vice president and, let's be honest, the reason Milly can run amok, I have the chance to gain proper leadership experience."

"For wha…" Halfway through that question, Nina remembered that she was almost certainly speaking with a princess.

Euphie wore a knowing smile and, it appeared, elected to continue their polite fiction. "I'll be involved in the family business once I graduate. Possibly sooner. For good or for ill, none of us have a choice in that. Many capacities in which I could serve are either beyond me or do not appeal; I am well aware of where my skills, interests, and opportunities intersect, hence my involvement in administration."

"Um… Then what's troubling you?" It sounded like Euphie had her life figured out well enough.

"I feel…conflicted. There's a whole muddle of feelings working at cross purposes in me. As I said, no one has a choice as regards my inclusion into the family business. For me, that's good. I want to be involved. I dearly love my family and want to make myself useful as more than emotional support. Especially so now that I'm certain of the scope of their ambition.

"The problem is that I expect I'll be sidelined the moment I do become involved. That I'll be given work that _is_ important and needs to be done but doesn't nearly make full use of me. I appreciate the safety and protection my family works so hard to provide me with, especially so against a marriage of convenience. I really enjoy my life at Ashford. But I feel…left out, sometimes. Unvalued. Yet at the same time, I _know_ I don't have the stomach for some of what I _could_ be asked to do. Not as I am, at least, and being put into a position that would…change me is…daunting. It both touches and infuriates me that I also know they'll never ask such of me. Yes, it's better for me that way. Yes, I have only the faintest idea of what I'm asking for. But I hate that they act as though my innocence is sacrosanct. Sometimes I just want to–"

Euphie sighed, and the frustration that had slowly crept onto her face faded away. "This is harder to put into words than I thought. I hope I'm not coming across as a whiny brat complaining about the easy life."

"No, of course not!" Nina hastily said. "I, uh – I'm not the best with feelings, but even I know it's important to at least acknowledge them."

"True." Euphie fell silent and turned her thoughts inward. A few seconds later, she shook her head at whatever had preoccupied her. "Still," she said, "I'm unsure what I should do to resolve these feelings."

Nina almost opted not to suggest the obvious, but it needed to be said. "Is there any reason not to just talk about this with, uh, your family?"

Euphie pursed her lips and spoke in halting words. "There's an…unspoken…understanding between us. I believe. I think they might fear I would hate them if they took me fully into confidence. Or maybe stand against them."

"Why?" Nina asked before she could help herself. The very moment the word escaped her, she realised Euphie might not be able to legally answer her, let alone want to.

But before Nina could awkwardly stumble her way into even more trouble as she always did whenever she opened her mouth, Euphie looked at her with a somber expression. "They hide it well, but there's a certain…volatility to them. Their sense of moral weight is so skewed. Even knowing I weigh heavily in their minds, I just…

"Part of me always wonders when I'm next going to hear of some atrocity committed in defence or revenge of one another. Or – or in my name. I have an older sister who–" With a shake of her head, Euphie dropped that particular anecdote. "The last time one of them was in life-threatening danger, hundreds of people died. The time before that, an entire family tree was erased from the roots to the leaves. Only the heiress and – well, only she survived."

Nina gulped. She'd known in passing that some manner of devastation had swept through the Stadtfelds, but she'd not realised it was so…complete – nor self-induced.

"And I just _know_ they'd leave me to find out what they've done second hand through the Internet or from some random stranger off the street. Like I don't matter! As though I'm somehow insulated from the wider world! I–"

Euphie abruptly stopped and took a deep breath. She then laughed, a weak, feeble act, though Nina had no idea what there was to laugh about. "I do love them dearly, but I have difficulty understanding how they think sometimes."

With a sigh, Euphie reached for her teacup. "I'm sorry for dumping all that on you. Please don't think ill of them. They _are_ good, kind people. I think I just really needed to say all that to _someone_."

"It's okay," Nina said with a bit of a blush. "It's not as though I've never done the same to you. I know it helps."

"True. And…I _do_ think I feel a little better already. Still, I don't think I say it often enough, but you're a good friend, Nina."

"I – um, uh… Well, I–" Nina promptly descended into incomprehensible mumbling, face fully flushed. Better that, though, than what she might accidentally blather out if she could manage anything coherent. And Euphie giggled, so she counted that as a minor victory.

"So that's my dilemma," Euphie said. "I really don't know what to do. Tradition would dictate that I plot and scheme, but something tells me that would not be a healthy or productive outlet."

Nina offered a shy smile. "I should think not."

"Do any ideas or thoughts come to mind?"

"Well…" There was one thing. "I wouldn't recommend going behind their backs, but perhaps if you first worked with someone else to show them you can do more than they think? Perhaps someone your family trusts but doesn't have too much influence over?"

"Hmm…" From the look on her face, Euphie had such a person in mind. "I think I might do just that. Thank you."

"It was no trouble."

And then out of nowhere, Euphie asked, "Hey, do you want to go shopping?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I could use something mindless to take my mind off of things, and your jumper is looking a little ragged."

"I suppose if you want to."

"Great!" Euphie jumped to her feet and pulled Nina up with her by the hand. Arm in arm, she marched them toward the door. "Then let's get going."

"Ah! But what about tea?"

"I'll clean up later, and we can eat out. There's a fancy new restaurant that Lelouch and Kallen recommended to me when they were last here. We can buy dresses, and get our hair done, and otherwise be pampered and act like vapid girls without problems. It'll be fun."

"Right…"

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
March 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

Out of place, incongruous, misplaced – there were many words to describe how Nina felt at the moment, but they all boiled down to the simple fact that she did not belong here. Her dress cost more pounds than the sum total that had ever passed her hands. And she attended Ashford Academy! She came from no modest means despite her family's lack of a title. They'd bypassed the need for connections and reservations with – presumably – some royal magic, but there was no denying that everyone here had a name and a story – everyone except Nina herself.

Even so, Euphie never relaxed her grip on Nina's attention. Probably without meaning to, if Nina were honest. Her thoughts were wandering to wholly inappropriate areas despite her best efforts. But there was no helping it! The woman across the table from her was gorgeous, and refined, and elegant, and, well, everything that poets rambled on about that average and awkward Nina was not. Only the absence of the woman's natural pink hair left the image incomplete, but a goddess had descended nonetheless. This was not Euphie Linette but Princess Euphemia incarnate.

If Nina made it through the night with her dinner still in her nervous, fluttering stomach, she would consider it a miracle. If she ever summoned the courage and audacity to risk more than carefully doctoring her plate to look as though she'd eaten more than a mouse, of course.

"I never quite determined why, but that was our strangest tradition back in the homeland. Milly wants to revive it this year as soon as the weather turns warm, but I'm unsure where we'll find the budget. Disregarding the cost of the ingredients, which is considerable, the Ganymede requires maintenance. We would need a devicer as well, and Kallen, Cornelia, and Nonette are the only people I personally know with the technical finesse required. Marianne used to do it, you see. However, even _if_ one is available, she might not be willing or interested."

Euphie formed her warm and captivating smile.

 _Ahhhh! Stop focusing on those perfect lips!_

"But privately, I _would_ much enjoy seeing them attempt to toss five tonnes of pizza dough in the Ganymede."

"It would be a, uh, strange sight," Nina said, stumbling over her words as though she were a love-struck schoolgirl.

 _Um…_

 _Shut up! I know._

"I might be able to do the maintenance," Nina offered. "If – if I had the manual and the parts."

"That would certainly help. But I wouldn't want to take so much of your free time away from your research."

Nina wondered if she would sound conceited if she admitted she could probably learn whatever she must and finish the repairs over a long weekend if she had access to prerequisite equipment and materials.

 _Probably._

"Speaking of," Euphie said, "how is your research faring? You appeared particularly frustrated when I interrupted you this afternoon."

"Oh, um, okay, I suppose."

Euphie raised her eyebrows sceptically.

"Well… It could be going better."

"I see. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Before Nina could stop herself, "Not unless you're a sakuradite expert," slipped out in a grumble. "Er, I mean–"

"I'm not," Euphie said. "But I am aware of one in the area."

"Really! I–" With no small effort, Nina pushed some of her energy and enthusiasm down so as not to make a scene. "Who?" she asked slightly more calmly. "How would I get in contact?"

"Oh, what was his name… Marrybell mentioned him to me. He's the inventor of the energy filler."

"Lloyd Asplund!"

"Ah, yes, that's it. He relocated his research team here a few months ago. If you think he could help, Marrybell should be able to put you into contact with him."

"Truly?" Euphie nodded with that dizzying smile of hers, and Nina swore she nearly swooned.

 _Argh! Stop it, hormones! We have no chance of mating even_ if _she liked girls and weren't a princess!_

A second passed before Nina realised exactly what she'd thought. Her face flushed, and she promptly looked down into her lap to hide that fact as best as she could. Anywhere else, she would have happily buried her head in her arms and banged it against the table, but here she restrained herself. She'd embarrassed Euphie quite enough already without making even more of a spectacle of herself. She just needed to make it through the rest of the night. Then she could go hide in a hole and just die.

* * *

 **Golding Casino  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
March 28, 2016 a.t.b.**

The White Queen was in her element. Crushing victories were her vice and her speciality. Her restraint had retreated, and damn but it felt good. She'd even sent one man away crying after worming her way into his head. And best of all, Suzaku was not available to frown disapprovingly at her!

For all his faults, Marrybell had respected, even _admired_ , Clovis. Sure, he was a shameless flirt, but as in all things, he always proved sincere. Yes, he allowed the local corruption to flourish, but he'd been handed the reins of power both young and barely prepared and had somehow made the best of a bad situation that could be much, much worse. True, he held no love for non-Britannians, the Japanese in particular, but neither did he subjugate them to the breaking point to squeeze a few more pounds from his viceroyalty. Despite all the temptations lined up before him, he'd managed to remain a decent, upstanding human being.

And then Marrybell, at Lelouch's request, had uncovered the Code R project. If Clovis were _actually_ researching chemical weapons, she could accept that. If he secretly wanted to use them to rebel against the homeland, then she would gladly stand right beside him. _If_ his plan had any chance of success, that was.

But the circumstantial evidence surrounding Code R suggested something far more sinister. And if Clovis could sponsor human experimentation terrible enough to hide behind treaty violations at which even the emperor would balk, then what else had he hidden from her?

With regret that only fuelled her anger, Marrybell had removed Clovis from her very short list of family she refused to kill.

"Checkmate."

Another game won. In her victory, Marrybell then finished tearing apart her opponent mentally with a viciousness that perhaps went beyond what even bad taste allowed. Security promptly intervened and escorted him out before she could goad him into physically assaulting her – such a pity. After his timely departure, Carrie entered and sealed the room behind her.

"Okay, girl, what's eating you?" Carrie asked. "I'm making tonnes of money off you, and I've seen you vent before, but I can't in good conscience let you continue playing like this."

Marrybell scoffed. "If I had my way, that man would be subjected to worse than a little verbal abuse. I have a list of crimes I could ruin him with if allowed."

Carrie quirked an eyebrow. "So what else is new? Provoking high treason isn't your usual operating principle."

"Fine. I'm just feeling a little betrayed right now is all."

"'A little'?" The scepticism came across loud and clear.

Marrybell pressed her lips into a thin line, and Carrie sighed.

"Go home, Marrybell. Or better yet, go stay with a friend."

"You're kicking me out?" Marrybell asked aghast.

"I know, right?" Carrie said with a smirk. "I'm equally horrified that my concern for you outweighs my greed. Will you need a ride?"

"No. No, I… No. I'll just…leave. I guess."

"Eloquent."

Ignoring the snark, Marrybell departed and reflected upon her behaviour. In hindsight, maybe she _had_ gone a little overboard. Clovis's self-inflicted character assassination infuriated her, but she usually had a better leash on her anger.

 _At least I haven't tried to gut Clovis with my sword,_ Marrybell thought ruefully. _A girl would develop a reputation._

"Where to, Your Highness?"

Marrybell leaned to the side and eventually let herself collapse onto her seat. As she laid there, she considered the question her chauffeur had posed. If she went home, she would just brood and _maybe_ eventually start considering if destroying Clovis would be in her best interests.

 _Suzaku… No, I don't feel like explaining myself. Oldrin? No, she's probably asleep. And damn that girl's absentminded habit of answering video calls in her nightdress. Lelouch and Kallen are busy. Maybe…_

"Take me to the tunnels. I'll walk to Ashford."

Marrybell retrieved her phone and opened up a chat with Euphemia. 'Hey, are you free? I could really use someone to talk to.'

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
March 28, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Clovis is doing _what_!"

"That was my reaction, too."

"Are you sure?" Euphemia pressed. She knew this was not a matter anyone would lie about, but it was just so hard to believe.

Marrybell nodded solemnly with a scowl pulling at her lips and a restrained fire in her eyes. "Who would have thought it, right? I mean, it's _Clovis_."

"I can't believe…" No, that was the wrong thing to say in this situation. "I believe you, but…why? I don't understand."

"I honestly don't know. It's not like I could just slap him and demand an answer. I don't have the standing to put that kind of pressure on him, and he _must_ know I'd not tolerate, let alone support, it. After _this_ , I wouldn't be surprised if I suffered an 'accident' if I confronted him."

"That's true…" Euphemia weakly said. She hesitated as a rather callous thought occurred. She flinched away from it at first, but she'd not simply been redirecting Nina's attention to the physical world when she'd asked for advice. She _did_ feel left out.

 _If you want on board, Euphemia, now is the time. This is the Call knocking at your door. Nothing was happening before, and if you wait too long now, everyone will settle into their roles. Then you'll forever be fighting an uphill battle to carve out a proper one for yourself._

Euphemia gulped and gathered her courage. "But I do."

"What?" For a moment, a contemplative expression overtook Marrybell's face. But that moment passed. "No. No way. Lelouch would go spare. The only thing worse would be if I let Nunnally do it. And if even half of the things I've heard about Cornelia are true, they'd never find my body."

With a roll of her eyes, Euphemia gave an exasperated huff. "Honestly, if those two had their way, I'd live in a house made of – of… _marshmallow_ atop a mountain with a lava moat surrounded by the entire Britannian army."

Marrybell giggled, which was a small step up from outright denial. Unfortunately, however, she said, "Still no."

"I want to help. I'll no more tolerate Clovis's behaviour than you."

"No. Besides, the direct approach here won't–" A sudden thoughtful expression came over Marrybell. She mumbled, "Well actually… But then – no, I couldn't… But perhaps if Cornelia… No, she doesn't have – but if it were you and she didn't object. And if I stay here after I turn sixteen…"

"Marrybell?"

Marrybell broke from her thoughts. She wore an evil grin as she asked, "How would you like to be the viceroy?"

A moment passed in silence.

"Huh?"

* * *

After hours of debating back and forth – and who knew Euphemia had serious talent in the field? – Marrybell felt she finally had Euphemia in full support of making a bid for the area's viceroyalty. Getting Euphemia to agree to take the position had been easy enough. They were both adamant that Clovis needed to be removed, and Euphemia had reluctantly conceded that no one relevant would entrust a colony as important as Area Eleven to Marrybell.

No, it was the manner of Clovis's removal and what happened to him after that had required negotiation. Eventually, Marrybell had settled for a plan of increasing escalation until he fell out of office with the consequences being whatever they would be.

A knock came at the door. Marrybell promptly overturned the papers she and Euphemia had been writing on as the latter called out, "Come in!"

A few moments later, an adorkable, bespectacled girl with green hair tied into twin braids stepped inside with a laptop clutched tightly to her chest. _Hmm… Nina Einstein, right?_ It had been a couple months since the last time Marrybell had found the time to accept an invitation to one of Milly's parties, and even then, the girl's shyness had kept her at the peripheries. Like the rest of the student council, though, she had gotten along well enough with Suzaku in her own way, and Euphemia counted her as a friend, so she must be a decent enough person.

"Oh!" Euphemia said. "I completely forgot. Come in and sit down, Nina." As the girl did so, if in a very nervous, fidgety way, Euphemia turned and added, "Marrybell, Nina wanted to ask you for a favour."

 _A favour? That Euphemia can't grant herself?_ Marrybell gave her sister one last glance before turning to Nina. "Well, the worst I can do is say no. What's up?"

"Well, um, my research, it needs help – er, I mean, I need help with my research. Euphie mentioned that you know Earl Asplund."

"We've met at state affairs a few times recently," Marrybell offered. "He moved his lab to Kokubunji in…November, I believe."

"Do you think – that is, if you were to ask, would he be willing to speak with me?"

"Not likely," Marrybell said. "To be frank, he clearly suffers Society solely to fund his research. Any response I elicit through such channels would produce only the most grudging of assistance."

Seeing Nina wilt before her, Marrybell added, "What I _can_ do is pass on a research pitch that he won't outright ignore in favour of his own obsessions. What do you have for me?"

Nina brightened immediately and opened her laptop. Marrybell was then treated to an hour long physics lecture that went _way_ over her head. What she did take away, however, was that Nina had an absolutely brilliant and very possibly _plausible_ idea for clean energy on large scales without astronomical costs. That, and also giant death balls that deatomised the affected landscape without turning it into a radioactive wasteland, but really, what use was that?

 _This is…very dangerous._ "Have you ever spoken of this with Lelouch or Kallen?"

Nina cocked her head to the side, bemused, but still replied, "I haven't."

 _I see. So they don't know that one of their friends is developing doomsday weapons._ After a brief moment of consideration, Marrybell decided to keep this to herself until after those two finished their war with Russia. _Now how do I deal with this…_

"Nina, do you realise that large explosions make for rather good weapons?"

The bright smile Nina had developed in her presentation vanished. "Uh, yes, well–"

"In fact, I might go so far as to suggest explosions are the basis of modern warfare."

"But that's not–" Nina timidly protested.

Marrybell interrupted again and silently signalled Euphemia not to intervene. "I would move the heavens and earth to enable you to develop the ultimate strategic weapon for me. Oh, the uses I would have for such a–"

"You can't!" Nina shrieked. She remembered herself in the next moment and slapped her hands over her mouth in a panic. When Marrybell smiled at her, however, she seemed to understand what had just happened and relaxed somewhat.

Noticing the annoyed look Euphemia was giving her, Marrybell said, "What? You can't tell me that wasn't necessary. Your friend just enthusiastically presented a doomsday device to me without so much as _politely asking_ me to keep it secret. Besides, I didn't even have to suggest naming the warhead such that its acronym came out as NINA."

"I didn't say anything," Euphemia insisted.

"Um…" Marrybell and Euphemia turned from each other to Nina. "It's okay. I – I understand. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry. Sometimes I just get so wrapped up in my research…"

Marrybell sighed. "I don't blame you for being excited. I of all people know what it's like to act without considering the consequences." She paused a moment to consider her next words very carefully. "It would, however, be very irresponsible of me not to intervene here."

"Marrybell!"

"Euphemia, you wanted to be involved in government. Consider this your first hard decision to make. What do you suggest we do?" Although she already had a good plan in mind, Marrybell needed to know if Euphemia was ready for… _Oh, bollocks._ "Er…Euphie, does Nina… _know_?"

With a sigh, Euphemia said, "Yes, she does." She turned to Nina.

"Oh! I, uh, I've suspected for years but didn't want to…"

"Ruin things?" Euphemia suggested, and Nina nodded. "I don't believe it's been a problem so far."

With the friendship fluff sufficiently sated, Marrybell refocused the group. "So? What are we going to do about this? If, say, Schneizel ever heard of this, you _know_ he'll throw as many pounds at it as Britannia can afford. Maybe more. And then there's _Father_."

"Well…" Euphemia looked at Nina with pursed lips. "I hate to ask this of you, Nina, but perhaps the world isn't ready for your work."

It spoke greatly to Nina's character – or perhaps their friendship – that she accepted that with only a nod and some wetness shining at the corners of her eyes. There was heartbreak there, certainly, but also strength of equal measure.

Of course, that hardly mattered at the moment because Euphemia was wrong.

Marrybell cleared her throat. "While I'm sure we both agree that Miss Einstein here is special, I wouldn't suggest that she's _unique_."

Euphemia processed that for a moment. "Oh. Oh! Oh, that's…bad."

"Indeed. Unfortunately, I'm not very familiar with the field. Nina, would you say your work is…" Marrybell snapped her fingers, searching for a word. "Oh, what's the term academics use… Ah, low-hanging fruit?"

After perhaps half a minute of serious thought with her eyebrows scrunched together and an accompanying string of inaudible mumbles, Nina said, "No, but it's not too far from the research frontier."

"There you go," Marrybell said. "Placing a moratorium on her won't solve the problem. _Someone_ will make the bomb sooner or later. Knowing that, what course of action do you recommend?"

"Well, if you put it like that." Euphemia turned to Nina no less apprehensive now than before. "I hate to ask this of you even more, but if you developed the bomb version first, would it be possible to create a countermeasure?"

Ashen faced, Nina stammered, "I – I – I-I think so. Th-the reaction collapses if–"

Marrybell interjected, "We're not physicists, Nina. 'Yes' will suffice for now. In a situation where it would matter, i.e., not over an ocean, do you believe shooting one down with conventional means would be a, let's say, healthy alternative?"

Nina shook her head. "The energy involved – even a limited blast radius from a partial detonation could be ten kilometres wide."

 _Well, that's that, then._ Marrybell sat back and waited for Euphemia's reaction. _If you won't do it, I will._ Fortunately, Marrybell did not have to wait long.

"Nina, there's no one I would trust more with this. I ask you this in my capacity as the Third Princess of the Realm. Will you design _but not build_ this weapon and create a suitable counter?"

"I – Eu – Your Highness, I'm a physicist, not an engineer. I don't know anything about building rockets!"

"No one creates such things alone," Marrybell commented. "You would have help as it becomes necessary. And regardless of your decision, you are, of course, free to pursue your original idea."

"I…" Nina glanced at Euphemia before turning her gaze onto the floor. "I… O-okay. I'll do it."

"Thank you, Nina." Euphemia smiled just a little mischievously. "You do realise this is the sort of thing that will put you on posters and in statues, right?"

Nina emitted a high-pitched moan. "That would be so embarrassing!"

Marrybell rolled her eyes. "Do you still want to meet with the earl?"

"Yes, please. That would be very helpful."

"Are you free this Saturday?" After Nina nodded, Marrybell said, "Alright. The man is married to his work, but he should be marginally freer then, and there should be fewer people around to ask unwanted questions. The only problem is he works for Schneizel. Hmm…"

"I can get by without help," Nina said, although she sounded unsure of herself.

"No, no," Marrybell said with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it. He has no reputation for stealing ideas nor patriotism, so he shouldn't be difficult to manage. Academic interest and ethics alone should ensure he won't talk." She paused a moment, remembering something she had said to Suzaku. "I'm sure I know how to ensure his silence regardless." _If that or a research grant won't do it, then I'll just threaten to have Suzaku tip off the JLF. I swear, if that man hijacks one more conversation to talk about his Lancelot…_

* * *

 **Kokubunji, Area 11  
April 2, 2016 a.t.b.**

Nina shrieked, and wasn't that just the worst idea she'd ever had?

* * *

 **A/N:** The Euphemia–Marrybell–Nina power bloc is not to be underestimated.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general. And yes, I'm aware the site name is spelt wrong. 'Tis a forbidden word.


	16. R1 S15 - Good Intentions All Around

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 15 - Good Intentions All Around

 **Greater Tokyo Area, Area 11  
** **April 2, 2016 a.t.b.**

With traffic and the usual detour around the ghettos, the drive from Ashford Academy to Kokubunji took approximately ninety minutes. There were a number of things Marrybell could – and probably _should_ – be doing, but she admitted to a certain curiosity about the girl in the seat across from her independent of the girl's research.

If there were ever a proper argument for Britannian supremacy, Nina Einstein could be its poster child. She was one of those rare prodigies who learnt calculus by ten and delved into the strange realm of non-Newtonian physics at twelve. In all other things, however, she appeared to be a relatively normal, if somewhat asocial, girl. She did have that quiet, bashful intellectual look going for her, though, so there was that; Marrybell knew there were people into that sort of thing.

 _Hmm… I wonder how well Nina can weather politics. Lelouch, Euphemia, and I can shelter her, of course, but spiriting her away to some fantasy laboratory filled with…I don't know, knife switches and Erlenmeyer flasks, could result in a ruinous backlash against us. Hiding a woman with the theoretical knowledge to build a better bomb just screams coup in the making._

"Nina," Marrybell began, "how long have you been on the student council?"

"Hmm? Oh, almost two years now."

"And what do you do for it? It worries me somewhat that Milly _needs_ a Secretary for Science."

Nina proved unable to resist a soft giggle. "Not much, honestly. Milly gave me lab space to work in the clubhouse. In exchange, I'm responsible for anything technology related that arises. Usually that's just lighting and wiring for school festivals and basic computer work, but I'm an adequate enough engineer for Prez's more…um, eccentric ideas."

Marrybell pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you the one who created the handheld knick–"

With a fierce blush, Nina said, "I am. Milly made me do it, and I would very much like to consider that chapter of my life closed, Your Highness."

"Fair enough." _Into the friendly blackmail bin it goes._ "Do you do anything else? Perhaps meet with students? Lead assemblies? Organise events? That sort of thing."

Nina shook her head. "Milly and Euphie handle all the administrative work. Er, well, the public aspects, at least. Rivalz is the secretary, and Shirley is the official treasurer. Sometimes Prez overworks her badly enough that we all have to help balance our budget, though."

"I see…" _So Nina has almost zero experience dealing with people._ Marrybell sighed inwardly. _I suppose I can appreciate a challenge._ "How is your history?"

"My history?" After Marrybell nodded, Nina said, "Well enough to get perfect marks, but I don't spend time dissecting the subject the way Euphie does. Why do you ask?"

"Do you remember how I mentioned that Earl Asplund suffers Society for his research?"

Nina nodded. Judging by the uneasy expression on her face, she no doubt suspected what Marrybell intended to discuss.

"You're going to find yourself in a similar position. Like him, you will, before too long, be elevated to the peerage. Probably as a countess. Perhaps a viscountess." Marrybell thought it over for a moment before shrugging it off as irrelevant. Then seeing the objection poised on Nina's lips, she added, "Regardless, to refuse would be…most unwise."

Still, Nina protested in a mumbled, "But I don't deserve that."

"I can name hundreds of nobles who deserve their title less than you," Marrybell said, "but that's not really the point. This is something you _will_ need to prepare yourself for. You're not going to get away from it. It's not a reward. It's a gilded cage meant to keep you in check. You really do need to understand that. The earl gets considerable leeway in his…eccentricities because he's very productive and we don't want him to wonder if there are green pastures across the pond. You won't. You fall into the worst possible category. You have something _incredibly_ dangerous that you can unleash alone which no one will ever get to use" _unless I_ really _bollocks this up._ "That means tonnes of scrutiny with none of the perks."

"What? But – but why would that matter when everything is done? What harm could I do?"

"Well, that _is_ the question, is it not? What harm _could_ you do? Better to fetter you to responsibility than let you be a free agent. Besides, it's good PR with the commoners to elevate the exceptional from amongst their ranks. The illusion of social mobility helps keep you lot in your place."

Despite her frown, Nina didn't look _too_ offended at that last little remark. Even so, Marrybell silently cursed herself for letting some of her bitterness show. _Dammit, Clovis._ This had been happening far too often since she'd uncovered the Code R project.

Marrybell faked a cough and pressed on. "Now what Euphemia and I are asking you to do is illegal, but we have no good alternative. What do you know of The Hague Accords?"

Nina scrunched up her brow and, after a moment, recited, "The Hague Accords were the result of the convention by the same name which occurred almost immediately after the end of The Great War. They dealt mainly with how future wars are to be conducted. There have been several similar treaties since and before, but none as successful or as significant in establishing the 'laws of war'.

"As is relevant to this conversation, I believe, the accords regulated the use, production, and possession of most chemical and biological weapons suited for warfare and established an obligation to report and regulate new 'weapons which might potentially destroy civilisation as we know it'. Today, this includes the known and theorised fission and fusion weapons. I…I don't know if my research is novel enough to require individual attention."

 _Nina, from what very little I understand of it, it sounds like you annihilate matter to create energy as a by product of a lesser fission reaction. That's science fiction nonsense intruding into reality. It probably even makes a pretty pink sphere or something equally absurd. You can quibble about fundamental operating principles all you want, but you really shouldn't need me to tell you_ "it is."

Nina gnawed on her lip for a moment, her gaze firmly in her lap. Soon enough, she nodded in acceptance and continued. "Violations of the accords require universal retaliation against the offending party, although it's not specified exactly what that means. Historically, minor infractions have only produced middling responses. Poland, however, no longer exists as a distinct polity as a direct result of a major breach."

 _And whatever Clovis is up to is bad enough to hide behind bringing the entire world down upon Britannia. They all want a crack at us; they just need a unifying force to bring them together. Not that Schneizel would ever let it come to that. He'd sack all of Japan first just to prove Britannia as a whole had no part in the affair._ Marrybell shook her head and banished the stray thoughts from her mind before she became distracted.

"The initial signatories were the member states of the reforged EU," Nina continued. "However, surprising everyone, the otherwise uninvolved Britannia set aside its differences with the EU and voluntarily stepped forward to sign the accords. This resulted in an almost magical response from the rest of the world as nearly every other nation rushed to add their name to the treaty of their own volition."

' _Almost magical', eh? Well, that's one way to put it._

With her miniature lecture winding down, Nina lastly added, "Um, personally, I've always considered it one of history's most beautiful moments."

Marrybell sighed to herself. _She just had to add that last part._ "Yes, I'm certain that The Hague Accords have inspired many a speech about the essential goodness of man. The world agreed to set aside its most terrifying weapons both present and future in the wake of the greatest, most devastating war to which it had ever borne witness. Thus humanity celebrated their wise and noble rulers even as the treaty ensured another century of continued warfare that plagues us still to this very day."

"Wha-what?"

"It sounds bad, doesn't it? Destroying civilisation. To be honest, I'm not sure if I would wish to live in a world where the push of a button could set humanity back ten-thousand years. However, there's a remarkably pacifying effect in mutually assured destruction. Something no one wanted."

After a few moments to let Nina play with the idea in her head, Marrybell continued. "The EU, perhaps, had good intentions at heart in the beginning. I couldn't say. It _was_ before we'd discovered anything _truly_ dangerous, even if we knew such threats were on the horizon."

Marrybell chuckled. "I almost wish it were a _literal_ magical moment in history. It's a pleasant notion. Imagine if there _were_ a cabal of magicians who so abhor the atrocities we mere humans would think to commit upon each other that they dedicate their lives to preventing the worst of it through sorcery. It would be a lovely safety net for civilisation. To be honest, it would even make more sense than it has any right to; how well enforced the treaty is always surprises me.

"But it's not magic. There's no man behind the curtain. The Illuminati are not secretly solving our problems before the world can even take notice. Nor is it the result of lofty ideals. The inherent value of life is the purview of the hoi polloi, not the state. No, it's realpolitik. It's the opportunity to continue the great game.

"This–" Marrybell hesitated. To do the explanation justice, she would have to lecture for _hours_. She promptly decided against such a course of action. "–is a complex issue. You can ask Euphemia to teach you politics some other time if you want."

Judging by the look on Nina's face, that would never happen.

" _Very_ oversimplified," Marrybell began, "Britannia has run on conquest since the Humiliation. We're able to continually grant new titles and lands from the territory we acquire, which is a significant part of how the emperor makes his social Darwinism run.

"The EU is a more muddled case. To quote Aesop" _or my favourite failed republic_ "united they stand, divided they fall. You see, despite its waning preeminence, the EU is a convoluted web of great empires who oftentimes simply _do not get along_. It makes them vulnerable in ways Britannia and the Chinese Federation are not. For example, imagine if Ireland were the recipient of a generous donation of a dozen nuclear missiles. Assuming it played its hand wisely, there's not much England could do at that point to stop it from declaring its independence, and oh does it want to. There are _many_ similar sentiments just on the continent alone.

"The Chinese Federation is our ideological opposite. They want us to bleed. Like us, however, they're expansionists. To be perfectly honest, they need the spoils of war even more than us. They have…problems.

"The two semi-major players left on the field exist _solely_ because they can wage war. Frankly, they could better achieve their stated aims in a world at peace, but I won't torture you with my cynicism. The African League's founding premise is reclaiming the continent from foreign powers. The Middle Eastern Federation operates under a similar principle.

"Lastly, when all the major powers want war, what can the independents do but allow it? Japan tried to act above its station, and look where that got them."

Marrybell paused a moment to breathe and let Nina absorb everything she'd said.

"Of course," Marrybell then continued, "if you earnestly believe you can fight the entire world _and win quickly_ , then there's no reason to hold to The Hague Accords. That's the trouble we have with you."

Nina's estimates on the yield of a sakuradite bomb were frankly disgusting. To give the number proper context, Marrybell had privately taken the time to obtain a compass and a physical map. As presented, a single warhead could destroy all of Pendragon, and the capital was a gargantuan, sprawling behemoth of a city.

Of course, there were usually significant differences between starry-eyed estimates and final products. Even at her young age, Marrybell was well used to being promised the moon and then given a meteorite in turn. Still, even if Nina's rough numbers were off by an order of magnitude or two, such a weapon was the very definition of overkill.

There was also another problem. According to Nina, the sakuradite reaction was trivial to set off so long as there was nothing nearby that anyone would miss.

"I don't trust either Schneizel or the emperor with your research. I wouldn't trust either with the theory behind fission weaponry, either, except they came to power too late for that to really matter."

The technology that went into knightmares and repurposed into fighters and VTOL transports was _very_ good at shooting down missiles. A fission based device required complex machinery to work, something that a slash harken could easily break. The sakuradite bomb, however, did not. Shooting one down would not necessarily stop it from dealing massive – if reduced – amounts of damage.

"If either were made aware of your research before a countermeasure were developed, I think you can imagine what they would do with it."

Nina gave a solemn nod.

"That's why I want one ready to go before we bring this to the world stage. It's a breach of the treaty to delay. We have an obligation to share what we know in an expeditious manner. But it's for all the right reasons. I _do not_ want our culture to be the only one left when the dust settles." _I'd sooner burn father's entire bloody empire to the ground than let it be all that remains._ "Insular cultures generally don't thrive, and that's not even addressing all the other problems it would create. Britannia is nowhere near ready to transform from expansion to maintenance. The massive sudden influx of cheap labour would destroy the economy. All the infrastructure we'd have to build or rebuild would be staggering. It'd be a struggle just to feed everyone."

It was times like these that Marrybell was glad she had a minibar in her limousine. Muttering more problems with her father's penchant for rapid expansion, she poured some water for herself and then downed the whole glass. That had been a lot of continuous lecturing.

When Marrybell turned her attention back to Nina, the disappointed look the girl wore _almost_ made her flinch.

"Oh, and let's save the world. I thought that would go without saying."

In a surprising show of backbone, Nina merely stated, "No lofty ideals."

Marrybell heaved a slow sigh. She then offered a wistful smile in response. "It's realpolitik. If I'd led you to believe I'm a good person, I apologise." Which was not to say she didn't care about _being_ a good person. She did. She tried. But ethics were something she had to consciously stop herself to consider if she remembered at all.

Nina adopted a thoughtful look for a time before her expression softened and she let the matter drop.

But speaking of personal concerns, Marrybell added, "By the way, if there's so little as a semi-reliable hard counter to the sakuradite bomb available to the world, the emperor and Schneizel should have little interest in personally conscripting you into service."

"That's good. I'd rather not move back to the homeland and be locked up in a secret lab in some underground bunker."

"Would you rather Euphemia and I do so to you _here_?" Marrybell asked in jest.

"Certainly not."

"Then you're going to have to prepare yourself for ennoblement." Marrybell chuckled to herself when she saw Nina slump forward a little and sigh at the reminder. "Although that does bring a question to mind. Why _did_ you relocate to Japan? I know you're interested in sakuradite, but you don't need to be _here_ for it."

After a bit of an awkward pause, the shy, insecure girl who never knew what to say returned in full force and fidgeted in her seat. Unfortunate, yes, but there was clearly hope for her yet. She spoke with confidence when passionate. It would take time and effort, but Marrybell felt sure she could bring out the best in Nina without putting her through anything too…character defining.

Finally finding words, if perhaps not the right ones, Nina admitted, "I'm not actually sure. I have friends here now at Ashford. Where I board all year. But, well, my parents had a business opportunity, but I don't really know… I mean, I do maths. Sometimes I tinker a little. And, well, that's about it."

"Fair enough." Marrybell had enough tact not to press on the subject of absentee parents. "I can appreciate dedication. I spend most of my time studying everything I need to rule while keeping tabs on the area's politics and military myself. I'd probably have worked myself to death at some point if I didn't have Suzaku to occasionally remind me that there's more to life than public service and problems to bang my head against trying to fix."

With a sympathetic smile, Nina said, "Euphie does the same for me. I, uh, I may have forgotten to eat for a few days one time."

Marrybell snorted, amused. "I don't recall that I've ever gotten _that_ bad. Although…I do confess I may have faked one or two lapses to get Suzaku to do what I want."

"You didn't!" Nina said in a faux outrage.

"Are you going to tell me you've never done anything to get Euphemia's attention?"

"Well…"

"Speaking of." Marrybell was usually wary of the subject, but Nina was a nobody with no power to make trouble for her, and there was no mistake. "You fancy my sister, don't you?"

Nina paled in an instant, and it took her a few seconds longer to recover and start stammering denials.

"Relax. I'm not going to out you. Or blame you. Euphemia is a lot of things I wish I could be. If I didn't have the incest cringe factor, I'd probably moon over her with you. I mean, with a face like that…" Marrybell chuckled. She and Euphemia might not be twins, but if they dyed their hair the same colour, one would be hard pressed to tell them apart.

"Besides," Marrybell continued, "it would be hypocritical of me to scorn you."

The trembling in Nina's frame abated as her eyes widened, but she only managed a weak, questioning, "You…"

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow.

Nina fidgeted, and shook, and stammered, and ultimately got nothing more out.

With a quiet sigh, Marrybell put it very bluntly. "I'm sexually attracted to women, yes." A fact that no one else but Suzaku knew, and oh how that little revelation had left her floundering until he got his act together a week later and hugged her. She could do some good here for someone obviously insecure about their own sexuality – among other things – and perhaps even gain someone to gossip with out of the deal. For whatever reason – and it honestly did not surprise her – Suzaku felt uncomfortable discussing women with her despite demonstrating that she could and would be as crude and offensive to her own gender as a boy.

Seeing Nina still struggling to find words but now lightly flushed instead of pale, Marrybell went for the kill. "So what is it about Euphemia that makes you need to change your knickers?"

And that was it for poor Nina. A remarkable shade of red spread across her face and down her neck.

 _All too easy._

After what felt like a minute of looking on in amusement, Nina eventually calmed herself down enough to mumble out a reply. "She's nice. A-and confident. And – and patient with me. And easy to talk to. And supportive. And–" Her blush intensified. "–and beautiful."

 _And a thousand other things, I'm sure._ Marrybell resisted the urge to tease Nina by expressing her gratitude for the implied compliment on her own appearance. She did want to have an actual conversation, after all.

"But I, uh, well, I try not to dwell on it. Euphie isn't… She's not…"

"She's not interested in the soft caress of a more gentle lover?"

"Y-yeah."

"Urgh. Tell me about it. All the good women are into men."

Nina covered her mouth with a hand, but the giggle still came through. "Who?" she dared to ask.

"Well, I wouldn't mind a few rounds with Kallen before she and Lelouch tie the knot–"

"They're engaged?" Nina exclaimed in surprise.

Marrybell rolled her eyes. Were all of their friends blind? "No, but they might as well be. Not really the point, though. Do you know who Oldrin Zevon is?"

Nina shook her head.

"She's a childhood friend of mine. And–" Marrybell whistled. "–she grew up _gorgeous_. She's partial to revealing clothing, too, which is such wonderful torture." She sighed theatrically. "Alas, her cruel uncle shackles her to the homeland. Many moons yet shall pass before the stars align and the Fates bestow upon this adrift admirer a moment of daring to entice her into my boudoir. So here I languish in unbroken longing, a slave to unspoken love beyond my reach. Such is my plight, and thus is my sorrow."

"I… Hmm… Um… A-age – age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety. Other women cloy the appetites they feed, but she makes hungry where she satisfies."

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow. _One of The Bard's plays, eh? Dickens, then._ "I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be."

"There is nothing so–" Nina blushed and took a moment to compose herself. "–so mortifying as to fall in love with someone who does not share one's sentiments."

 _Heyer._ Marrybell's smile grew eager. _How about a little Byron._ "Thus much and more; and yet thou lov'st me not, and never wilt! Love dwells not in our will. Nor can I blame thee, though it be my lot to strongly, wrongly, vainly love thee still."

Not missing a beat, Nina quoted, "With women who do not love us, as with the dear departed, the knowledge that there is no hope left does not prevent us from continuing to wait."

 _Damn! Proust. Very nice. Let's see… Ah, I know._ "Misery doth befall the fool who calls love master, for mine own master do I love. Everything, I have given freely, yet my faith and my heart never to be returned is the only reward due to one such as I. Too late now the fool realises her master shall never love her, for cruelest love hath her within its unyielding grasp. This the fool knows and yet revels still within her twisted service, waiting for that which shall never come."

Nina frowned. Her eyebrows furrowed. She pursed her lip. And then, at last, she conceded. "What is that from?"

" _The Tragedy of Dame Eleanor_ , spoken by the eponymous dame herself. I'm surprised you haven't read it."

"I, uh – um…" Flushed and clearly embarrassed, Nina admitted, "I could never get past chapter twelve."

Marrybell winced. "Yes, I can understand that. There are no words to describe Eleanor's prince. That chapter left me bawling and depressed for a week before I finally powered through it, and it only grew worse thereafter. It certainly doesn't help when you have a few brothers and sisters who you suspect are guilty of equal abuse."

Nina opened her mouth and then paused a moment. She considered what she'd been about to say, shook her head, and finally said, "If you don't mind me saying so, you're very different than I thought, and I'm still not sure what to make of you."

"No offence taken," Marrybell said. "I could say the very same of you. You have a hidden passion for romance, don't you?"

"I do," Nina quietly admitted as though she just confessed a secret capable of toppling empires. She then immediately turned the accusation around. "As do you."

Marrybell smiled and shrugged away the observation. In all honesty, she hoped she did still have that one tiny little sliver of innocence left in her. She spent so much time wearing the mask, pretending _not_ to be a surly, bitter woman, that it was sometimes hard to tell.

"Um…"

After a few seconds, Marrybell said, "Yes?"

"Well, you're a princess. It's just, aren't you expected to, well, you know."

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow.

Blushing, Nina made a rather crude gesture with her hands, and Marrybell laughed uproariously. She'd not thought the girl had it in her.

"No, thankfully," Marrybell eventually said. "My line is well and truly dead. No self-preserving man would marry me without a gun to his head. Not after everything. Were I so inclined, the best I could hope for would be a couple asking me to be their 'cover' and maybe occasionally joining them in bed."

That was one of those embarrassing moments in history. Ricardo von Britannia, the eighty-ninth emperor and Marrybell's distant ancestor, began the colossal effort of stripping Britannia of unwelcome continental influences after the passing of the previous empress, his lover, Elizabeth the Third. His eldest son, as the ninetieth emperor, continued the trend and eradicated every trace of institutionalised religion within the state. No Britannian sovereign had _ever_ acceded that the legitimacy of their reign descended from divine right, merely implied it when convenient, and the monarchy was just done with the whole concept at that point.

And then came Annwn va Britannia, the ninety-first empress of Britannia. The turmoil following the Humiliation had settled. Britannia was more in touch with its cultural heritage than it had been in centuries. And so, naturally, when it had rather pointedly and repeatedly been explained to her that being openly entangled in a ménage à trois made Britannia – and her in particular – the subject of ridicule and scorn amongst the other great powers of the world, Annwn decided that this silly continental notion of monogamy had run its course. She dusted off the ancient laws governing polygamy, had her husband marry their mutual lover, and then vanished for a week to celebrate her husband's taking of a second wife in a manner appropriate to the occasion.

And thus, in the middle of the nineteenth century, Britannia became the first modern nation to – at least implicitly – endorse same-sex marriage. The often paper-thin veneer of heterosexuality, of course, had to be maintained in public. Even Annwn had not dared to push that far at the time, and no sovereign since had cared to bother. Certainly, dear old dad and his beloved social Darwinism would not break the pattern despite how easy it would be in the present day. Even so, it drove the very liberal EU absolutely bonkers when brought up in conversation.

A quiet growl caught Marrybell's attention. Her eyes fell to Nina's stomach, who placed her hands over it and only made herself more conspicuous.

"I haven't eaten today," Nina admitted.

"So it would seem. We'll stop somewhere in Kokubunji to get an early lunch. Knowing the earl, you're going to be preoccupied at least until dinner."

* * *

 **Kokubunji, Area 11  
** **April 2, 2016 a.t.b.**

Marrybell frowned at the street map displayed on her phone. She glanced up from it at the girl on the other side of the booth. Nina was struggling almost comically with a slice of pizza. A gooey yet obstinate string of cheese refused to break, and the more she pulled it into her cheeks, the more it pulled the remaining cheese on the slice with it.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?"

Nina shook her head and swallowed. "It's only a twenty minute walk to the Camelot lab."

While true, the route would take Nina far closer to the Code R site than Marrybell liked.

"Besides," Nina added, "I could use some light exercise after Pizza Hut."

Marrybell was tempted to insist with or without giving an explanation. But with the security surrounding Code R, if someone noticed her taking a rather conspicuous, circuitous route through Kokubunji, that could tip her hand and turn ugly very quickly. Perhaps this was for the best.

"Very well," Marrybell said. "Do you have the ID I gave you?"

Nina nodded.

The loud crashing sound of falling tableware came from the kitchen. A muffled shout soon followed it.

"Yanni Salika!"

A grunt, a sharp cry, the flump of a body hitting the floor, and the skittering of shattered glass.

"Get your addicted arse out of here, and don't come back!"

Marrybell closed her eyes and quietly sighed. When she next opened them, she noticed Nina visibly wrestling with the decision to go help or stay seated.

"Don't," Marrybell said.

"But – but didn't you hear that? That man could be hurt."

"He probably is, but I've survived worse."

"But – but…"

After another sigh, Marrybell asked, "What would you have me do?"

Nina faltered for a moment at the question with a seemingly obvious answer. "Call an ambulance? Take him to a hospital? Perform first aid?"

"That last one I could help with _if_ I had the necessary supplies, but from context, I assume the man is an honourary Britannian. He probably won't want our help. Not right now, at least. Especially not _mine_. If we went to help, we'd probably just make things worse."

"What? But you're–"

"Nina," Marrybell interrupted, "I like the Japanese. I try to help them. But I'm a _very_ thorny subject for them. I am, ostensibly, the reason they lost their sovereignty, after all.

"As for medical care, from what we heard, the man has a Refrain addiction. The tremors the drug induces are probably what caused the accident. _If_ we take him to a hospital, _if_ he has insurance, _if_ they treat him properly, at the end of the day, he's under arrest. A Britannian would go to rehab. He'll go to prison and labour for twenty years without pay. Then when he gets out, he can only hope someone who cares for him is still alive, because he won't be getting a job. Not even as cannon fodder in the military. If not, he'll turn to less legal means of survival, and thus the cycle repeats."

"But that's terrible!"

"By design. Regardless of what rhetoric you use, empires exist to enrich their homeland at the expense of their colonies."

"But…"

"Nina, you're a brilliant girl. Don't close your eyes to reality."

Of all people, Marrybell would know how the system worked, and Nina had to know that. While the latter stared pensively down at the table, Marrybell helped herself to another breadstick.

"It shouldn't be like that."

"No, it shouldn't. But it is." After a moment to weigh the idea in her mind, Marrybell decided to lightly probe Nina's ethics again. "You're not alone, of course. Euphemia, for example, is interesting in that she sees everyone as her people and all Britannian territory as our homeland. She has this baffling instinct to care for everyone which I can only simulate on a good day. If she were otherwise fit for the position, she would make an excellent empress."

"She could do it if you gave her a chance," Nina said with unexpected force.

That was not the response Marrybell had anticipated, but it would certainly do. "I admit we could _make_ it work," she said, "but she doesn't have the temperament to rule in her own right."

"I think she would surprise you," Nina insisted.

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow, half-tempted to reveal she intended to make Euphemia Area Eleven's viceroy. As amusing as that would be, however, she instead said, "Perhaps, but I think we can agree that she doesn't _want_ to be empress."

After a moment, Nina conceded a simple, "I suppose."

"Anyway, I'm going to go pay for us and get out of here before someone recognises me." Dressed down in jeans and a light jacket, she doubted anyone would. It was barely a disguise, but the typical commoner – Britannian or otherwise – tended to believe royalty somehow could not function without silks and furs. They usually dismissed her when not so clothed as a lookalike or after being politely informed of their mistake. "I'm not really in the mood to deal with that anymore. Are you sure you don't want a ride?"

"I'll be fine."

"Alright. Text me when you're done, and I'll come to the Camelot lab to pick you up."

After exchanging goodbyes, Marrybell gave the cashier twenty quid and left. On her way out, she grabbed a napkin and a pen. She wrote, 'Kōzuki Naoto, Nakano,' and signed it simply 'MmB'. From there, she tracked down the man from before with little difficulty; his injuries made him memorable to passersby. She rudely brushed past him, deftly slipping the note and roughly a thousand pounds in small bills into his pocket as she did, and then vanished around a corner while he groaned and cursed her under his breath.

There were a dozen reasons Marrybell could give to rationalise what she'd just done, most rather petty and childish, but when it came down to it, she simply trusted Kallen's brother to give those she sent his way a fair shake. He seemed decent enough, and Kallen and Lelouch _had_ , after all, left him to his own devices.

A short while later, Marrybell arrived at her base of operations in Kokubunji. She'd leased an empty building roughly two kilometres away from the Code R lab – not under her own name, of course – and set up camp. As it happened, Nina's request could not have come at a better time. She'd needed a reason to be in Kokubunji so close to her brother's dirty secret, after all…

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace  
** **Government Borough, Area 11  
** **March 29, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Clovis!" Marrybell called out. "Are you around?"

"I'm on the terrace!" returned a faint voice.

Marrybell made her way through Clovis's private quarters atop the Viceroy's Palace and emerged onto the terrace overlooking the settlement. The entire city could be seen from this vantage point. The sprawling grounds of Ashford Academy were easy to spot. The shattered remains of the Tokyo Tower stuck out almost painfully so against the surrounding Britannian architecture. On the horizon, the ghettos ringed the settlement proper.

Gazing out over it all, Clovis stood with palette and brush in hand. His canvas stood within arms reach. From what was done, he appeared to be painting the settlement from an unusual angle. The finished portions looked superb as usual so far. Whatever else could be said about him, no one could deny that Clovis had artistic talent to spare.

"You're looking radiant as always, dear sister," Clovis casually observed.

Marrybell smiled and grit her teeth. "Thank you. I see you're enjoying the weather."

"Indeed! I've managed to delegate enough today to make time to finish my latest masterpiece." Clovis heaved a yearning sigh. "I don't suppose Father would allow me to pass the viceroyalty onto you this June, would he?"

Marrybell paused a moment at the question but soon found her voice. "I thank you for the consideration, but my age has no bearing on my standing in his eyes," she bit out. _Nor your affability in mine._ "He will make use of me in whatever manner he deems fit, which clearly will not be as your replacement. I give thanks only to my unsuitability as a whore."

"I believe the term you were looking for is 'wife'," Clovis commented. The sincere sympathy in his voice made Marrybell want to wring his neck all the more for his betrayal of everything for which she'd once thought he stood.

"If it looks like a duck."

Clovis chuckled. Somehow, he always found Marrybell's negativity 'endearing' – his words, not hers. "What brings you here, Marrybell? Or are you just after the pleasure of my company?"

 _Not anymore._ "I just wanted to let you know I'll be in and out of town for a while. If you need me to get anything done, now would be the time to tell me."

"Nothing comes to mind," Clovis said thoughtfully. He shrugged. "Where will you be going, if you don't mind my asking?"

"A physicist friend of mine needs some assistance with her research. She asked me to procure Earl Asplund's aid over at his lab in Kokubunji. You know how he is. If I leave now, I imagine I'll be done enduring him next year."

"Ha! I wish you good luck. That man tries even my patience sometimes."

 _Is that it? He's just going to wish me luck and send me on my way?_ Marrybell shook her head. She'd be careful to watch for anyone following her. "'Tis his revenge for Society trying his, I believe. But in all honesty, I expect he'll be far less tedious when discussing science."

"True. Do try to enjoy yourself either way."

"If I can. I'll see you later, then."

"Have fun."

Marrybell paused at the sliding door leading back inside. Regret was not a feeling that sat well with her, especially not when mixed with anger. It roiled within her and prevented her departure. Where her outrage demanded blood, it offered excuses and clemency.

Marrybell's grip on the door tightened until her knuckles turned white. She swore under her breath and forced herself to let go.

For everything that her brother had done for her, for everything that he meant to her, Marrybell would give him one small chance, as much as she could afford without putting her own life at the mercy of her brother's dark side. She owed him at least that much. If nothing else, Euphemia would want her to do it.

"Clovis?"

"Hmm?"

With ease, Marrybell spun her story. "I was speaking with Suzaku yesterday. I…said something I really shouldn't have about his father."

"I don't believe I need to tell you to apologise," Clovis said.

"No, I will. I just… That there, what you just did. It was very… What I said, it forced me to think about…things. I… I mean…" _Dammit._ Marrybell roughly rubbed a tear from one eye and then the other. They weren't part of the act, and she hated herself for it.

"Have I ever thanked you for supporting my friendship with Suzaku?"

Visibly poring through his memory, Clovis slowly said, "I don't believe so."

"Then thank you. When I eventually got over myself, I realised that the harassment I suffered because of that was really very mild. I know you had something to do with it."

"'Got over yourself'?" Clovis said with a fond smile and a chuckle. "Dear Marrybell, you _still_ have an ego larger than Father's."

Marrybell's eye twitched, and for a moment she considered simply leaving, but she ultimately let the comment pass.

"Perhaps," Marrybell allowed. "But I know I was a nightmare when I first got here."

"Considering what you went through, no one could blame you. Certainly, I much preferred it to the sycophantic little girl eager to please with a dagger behind her back."

 _Hmph._ Marrybell had quickly discovered the concept of prior probability after the war. _No one_ had bought her act, so instead she'd carefully let her contempt show and slowly let it fade. Clovis had seen through her, of course, but she'd accepted that – welcomed it, even.

"It was when the anger later turned to tears that I grew terrified."

"Yes…" At the time, Clovis had truly had no idea what to do with a crying girl, or more specifically, a crying little sister. Even back then, the incorrigible flirt had known exactly what to say to a woman in tears.

"Clovis, do you remember how I first came to you?"

Indeed, he did. The look of Clovis's face revealed everything. He made no light attempt at humour here. "I could never forget the sight. A little Britannian girl covered in mud wearing blood-soaked rags. She carried an Eleven boy with a gunshot wound on her back and looked as though she'd not eaten in weeks. I couldn't even recognise you."

"Neither could anyone else." That had almost gotten both Marrybell and Suzaku killed. Even when she'd shouted her identity for all to hear, nothing had been expected of him. Many of her other siblings would have simply disposed of her as an 'impostor' and been done with it, not take on an unruly burden like her. After all, what was one less potential rival for the throne?

"You… Clovis, I'm…damaged. That was obvious, and yet you took me in anyway. I needed you in my life more than I can possibly say. I can't thank you enough for being there for me. I can't even express how lucky I feel despite everything. Out of a family of monsters, I somehow got you. I… I look up to you as the good person I can never be."

Marrybell gave Clovis a watery smile. "More than my brother, you've been a father to me. Certainly far more than the emperor ever has."

"Marrybell, I…" Clovis looked as utterly unprepared to deal with Marrybell's confession as he sounded. "I don't know what to say."

Marrybell wet her parched lips and swallowed. "You don't need to say anything. Please just keep being you."

Clovis set aside his painting supplies and stepped toward Marrybell, but she turned and fled before another word could be said. She'd stepped too far outside her comfort zone already. If she went any further, she'd not trust herself not to do something terminally foolish _again_ with her most recent father figure.

 _Clovis…_ Marrybell pushed aside and buried feelings that never should have been unearthed. _You have until I get my hands on the skeletons in your cupboard to fix everything. Disappoint me, and I'll destroy you._

* * *

 **Code R Infiltration Team HQ  
** **Kokubunji, Area 11  
** **April 2, 2016 a.t.b.**

Amidst the general clutter of headquarters sat two men and a woman. When Marrybell said, "Shinozaki-sa…" all three heads looked up from their work. "Shizue-san," she tried instead, and the two men went back to whatever task they had at hand.

"Good afternoon, Marrybell-sama."

"Good afternoon. How goes the infiltration?"

Shizue rolled a hand back and forth in a so-so gesture. "Whoever designed the security for this place is a complete novice at tradecraft, but the physical security is more paranoid than the protections Lelouch-sama placed around Ashford Academy."

A snicker escaped Marrybell at the description.

"We've managed to fully map the outer security," Shizue continued, "but it'll be days – weeks, perhaps – before we manage to get in and out with evidence without raising alarm."

Marrybell frowned as her thoughts turned toward the _other_ major obstacle to the operation. "Has Naoto-san sent anymore scouts into the area?"

"No. There have been less, actually."

"Well, that's good. I don't want – wait, what?"

With a shrug, Shizue said, "There's only two or three observing right now. We're not sure yet what to make of it as we're relatively blind to his group's activities at the moment. It's too big and too well-organised; there's just too much to keep track of from a distance. Still, there's no possible way they're prepared for an assault. Not without magic, at least."

"What about the mystery person with Naoto-san? The one who took out your agent."

"We still don't know who he or she is nor where Shigeru-kun disappeared to, but no one involved with the Code R project has been in or in contact with someone from Nakano to the best of our knowledge. Nor would any of them recognise Shigeru-kun."

 _So Naoto shouldn't have access to any information we do not. Strange. I doubt he's foolish enough to plan a raid blind nor callous enough not to concern himself with the destruction such a gamble would result in. But then what is he up to? I suppose he could just be moving cautiously…_

After a moment, Marrybell shrugged. _Whatever. The slower he proceeds, the more time we have to get this over and done with._ As Lelouch preferred for Naoto to remain blissfully unaware of the shinobi watching over him, she intended to step in and tell him to back down only if it became obvious he was involving himself in this mess.

"Well, I'm not going to curse the rare good fortune in my life," Marrybell finally concluded. "Am I pushing my luck in asking if we've caught anyone new and significant involved in Code R?"

"No, actually."

"Oh?" Some small part of Marrybell whispered that something terrible had to be hanging over her head. Life _never_ went this well for her. Sure, Clovis had turned out not to be the benevolent older brother she'd thought him, but that certainly opened up opportunities. Euphemia was unexpectedly willing and eager to cooperate. Nina and the girl's research just fell into her lap. Naoto was not making as big of a nuisance of himself as he could. Now this. "Who?"

"Lord Calares."

"The Duke of Tokyo!" said a shocked Marrybell. Things kept getting better and better as one of the major obstacles to ruling the colony lined itself up to be knocked down. Aloud, she mused, "Just how many people are entangled in Code R?"

"Hmm… What's the expression you Brits use? Everyone and their mum?"

Marrybell snorted. "I certainly hope not."

Another of the Shinozaki present spoke up, a man known as Shiro in keeping with the Shinozaki tradition of all code names beginning with shi for the double meaning. "Speaking of, we have a new face." He spun his monitor around to show them a picture. "Shino-san spotted this one arriving on foot. I'm searching for a match, but in the meantime, anyone happen to know who this is?"

Marrybell studied the image presented to her. It was a blonde woman with short hair that curled into large spirals. She wore a lab coat, wore small, fashionable glasses, and had a cylindrical case about the length of a bastard sword strung from her shoulder. Her features were distinctly Britannian, of course.

"No idea," Marrybell said. After the other two had concurred, she asked the one question that was really bothering her. "Why is she wearing a maid cap?"

"No idea," Shiro echoed.

Shizue snickered. When Marrybell sent her a questioning glance, she said, "It's nothing. Just remembering something silly about a cousin of mine."

Before anything more could be said, the last Shinozaki in the room muttered something under his breath.

"Shinji-kun?"

"Gunfire inside the lab."

"What!" Marrybell said in concert with similar exclamations from Shizue and Shiro. "Who's responsible?" Unless she had seriously underestimated Naoto, he had no one on the inside. It couldn't be him.

Shizue, who had immediately returned to her computer, glanced through the camera feeds they had watching the Code R lab for an elusive glimpse of an answer. She shook her head. "I have nothing definitive. Shiro? Shinji?"

Both shook their heads. Shinji added, "The maid girl is the only new factor we're aware of. Could be her. Not that we know who she is."

Marrybell frowned. _Could it be the OSI? I didn't think they were aware of this. They certainly showed no signs of it, at least._ Her thoughts briefly drifted toward the shadowy organisation Pluton. Oldrin occasionally heard about it in vague whispers from her uncle. Allegedly, assuming it actually existed, it did the emperor's bidding when whatever task he'd set was too dirty for the OSI.

"Marrybell-sama," Shizue said. "The gunfire isn't ceasing. If you want, we could slip in during the chaos."

 _At the expense of subtlety. Not that that will necessarily be an option after whatever this is passes. If it's the OSI, getting involved would be a very bad idea, but if it's not…_

Before Marrybell could reach a decision, the matter was taken out of her hands.

"There are several transports ignoring traffic lights a few minutes away from the site."

"Knightmare carrying?" Marrybell asked.

"Most likely."

 _Of course they are._ "Alright, we're done. I want no part of this debacle whether it's the OSI, Naoto-san, the JLF, or the Flash herself back from the dead. Pull everyone out."

"As you command."

Marrybell sighed. It seemed life _had_ been going too well for her and had decided to make things difficult. But that was fine. She was used to it. She just had to alter her plans. A missed opportunity was simply that. It wasn't as though there were anything else at stake.

A moment passed.

 _Oh, fuck me up the arse!_ Marrybell snapped out her phone and started typing. "Shizue, I need you to track a phone."

* * *

 **Kokubunji, Area 11  
** **April 2, 2016 a.t.b.**

This was a bad idea. Nina knew that. Marrybell had even spelt out to her exactly why. But despite that, it felt like something Euphie would insist they do. And by her own admission, Marrybell _did_ wish she were more like her sister. Besides, maybe if more people did the right thing it would stop being the wrong choice.

 _Let's see… Who would have been here when, um…Mr Salika, I think? When he walked by?_

Nina scanned the small crowd of people before her, most of whom were probably going to or from lunch. None of them really seemed like they had been here long or intended to stay long. But then she noticed a bus stop a bit further along the pavement. There were two people sitting there waiting. With any luck, they could tell her which way to go.

"Um, hello. Have either of you seen an injured man walk by?"

Despite the strange looks she received, the pair nonetheless pointed Nina in the right direction. After first expressing her gratitude, she hurried along at a light jog. She thus traversed the streets stopping to ask pedestrians waiting for buses, dining outside, or otherwise loitering for directions. She had to be catching up. Salika had a ten or fifteen minute head start, true, but a man with a limp could only move so fast and so far. He'd also not yet boarded a bus or train.

Not too far away, Nina heard a popping, explosive sound. Soon came another and then another in irregular, staccato beats.

 _Fireworks? Is today a holiday?_ A quick search on the Internet revealed that it was not, or at least not one that anyone paid attention to. Nina turned toward the direction of the noise and glanced up at the sky. When she saw nothing, she took a moment to find a clearer view through the buildings.

 _Nothing? Hmm… It must be an experiment at one of the labs nearby._

With a shrug, Nina pressed on. It wasn't long before she finally found the person she assumed she was looking for in an alley. He was Japanese, small tears littered his clothing, he moved with a limp, and he had a developing bruise on his cheek.

"Um… Excuse me," Nina said as she approached Salika. She received no response and tried again, this time both nearer and clearer. "Excuse me. Do you need help?"

"Help?" Salika said. "Well, if you're bored, you could do me a small favour."

"Huh? A favour?"

"I need a piece of red mahogany to resurface an antique wardrobe."

Nina had no idea what to say to that. It was then that she noticed an injection device on the ground nearby. She recalled what Marrybell had said with a gasp.

 _He's on Refrain! Oh, this is bad. What do I do? How do I help?_

With no idea how to handle this situation, Nina pulled out her phone and searched for an answer. She clicked on the first link and read through the site.

 _I'm not going to call the police._

The next link was even less useful.

 _I'm certainly not going to 'fuck him up'!_

Frowning, Nina refined her search to obtain medical answers. As she parsed through generally unhelpful information suggesting she simply let the patient ride out the drug, the situation suddenly grew worse. An emergency alert popped up on her phone informing her of a terrorist attack. In Kokubunji. Less than a kilometre away.

Nina paled as realisation struck her.

 _Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no! Those were gunshots I heard before! I need to get out of here!_

After but three steps of panicked sprinting, Nina slowed to a stop as she remembered why she was in the alley to begin with. She turned back toward Salika with indecision written on her face. If she left now, she would be fine. The military was probably already here and escorting civilians to safety. She could escape.

But Nina would have to leave Salika behind to very possibly die. With Refrain running through his system, he'd be unable to defend himself. She could protect and guide him, but if she did so, then she would have to avoid the military entirely. Now that she knew what she was looking at, Salika was _obviously_ on Refrain. If she took him through a military checkpoint, he'd be briefly detained for being an honourary Britannian at the scene and then be arrested but moments later.

Nina recognised the choice before her: safety or integrity. Her frantic mind scrambled for a decision. She knew the sane course of action. She wasn't a tactical genius like Lelouch nor the physical incarnation of a warrior goddess like Kallen. She had no business being on a battlefield or sneaking around in the shadows. And yet she also knew exactly what decision Euphie, someone equally out of place, would reach without hesitation.

"Come with me," Nina said as she grasped Salika's hand. She ignored his babbling which had long since descended into Japanese. He put up no protest, but getting him to move at more than a slow walk without falling over was a challenge all of its own.

In the main streets, people still fled en masse, the great crowd clogging the pavements and the streets. Unfortunately, as Nina had expected, the military had already moved in and was directing the flow of traffic. From this distance, she could even see the occasional honourary Britannian be pulled aside for questioning.

Thus with the option to slip away before anyone could stop them gone, Nina pulled Salika down another alley perpendicular to safety. She had a plan. It was a bad one, and she knew that, but she _had_ a plan. That was enough to keep her focused with courage enough to follow through.

The nearest railway station was all but abandoned. Everyone knew that terrorists used the old metro tunnels on the island to move about unnoticed. This was not one of them, of course, but only a few people had stayed to catch the last train out of Kokubunji during the crisis nonetheless.

Instead of proceeding to the train and almost certainly getting caught, Nina pulled Salika toward a service access door. She withdrew her school identification from a pocket and slid it through the door's card reader with fingers crossed.

The lock clicked, and Nina pushed the door open in relief. Few people knew just how deeply the Ashfords were involved in the reconstruction efforts after the war, but she did. She also knew that Ruben Ashford let his granddaughter get away with just about anything, which included granting the student council privileges that they really didn't need and honestly shouldn't have.

Nina gave breath to a promise to thank Milly for her abuse of power and silently shut the door behind her and Salika.

Emergency lights lit the service tunnel well enough to see by, but Nina pulled out her phone and turned the torch on. Looking around, she found B5 painted in huge letters on the wall beside the door she'd entered through. A sign directed her to B4 to the left, B6 to the right, and A1 forward.

 _Right… I have no idea where I'm going. Do I have signal… No. No GPS, then. In that case, north is…_ Nina reoriented herself to face a landmark she remembered the relative position of. _That way. Everyone was fleeing to the east, so that means I need to go toward_ – her face darkened – _the door behind me._

Nina pursed her lips in frustration.

 _Fine. I guess I'll head south for now._

* * *

 **Code R Infiltration Team HQ  
** **Kokubunji, Area 11  
** **April 2, 2016 a.t.b.**

With arms crossed, Marrybell tapped her index finger impatiently.

"The train arrived."

While Shizue attempted to trace Nina's phone once more and Shiro accessed the station's camera feed, Marrybell tried the direct method and called Nina. As before, it never connected. She tried a second time only to meet another failure.

"Nina-san's last known location is still at the original metro entrance," Shizue said.

Shiro added, "I'm not seeing her disembark, either."

 _So she never boarded the train, and there's not another one coming. She should have left the station, so where is she? I swear, if she just misplaced her phone…_

"Keep trying," Marrybell said. It was possible Nina's phone was having difficulty finding signal, and the security surveillance on the platform itself was only a token measure, not comprehensive.

"We could go investigate ourselves," Shiro suggested. "The others are halfway out of the city as ordered, but we're not that far away."

"Possibly…" Marrybell mused. The actual fighting was in the other direction and departing. They should be able to slip in and out without danger. The only soldiers around should be Britannian, something Marrybell could easily deal with. In the absolute worst case scenario, she might fall responsible for the deaths of a few terrorists or Code R thugs. Neither was something she would lose sleep over.

Her decision reached, Marrybell said, "Shizue-san, let's head out. Shiro-san, Shinji-san, stay here and let us know if you find something."

"Your Highness? You're coming with?"

Marrybell nodded as she gathered everything she needed for a potential combat situation. "We've no time for subtlety. Euphemia would kill me if I let something happen to her friend just because I wasn't willing to get off my arse."

"And if she's not there?"

"Then we'll check the other stations."

* * *

 **Kokubunji, Area 11  
** **April 2, 2016 a.t.b.**

Time dragged on with scenery no more stimulating than an empty, concrete tunnel without twists or bends. Nina pressed forward while dragging Salika behind her by the hand. The few doors she came upon only led out into the metro tunnel, which she opted not to take for obvious reasons. After a while, she considered that it might be best to keep walking south when she finally found an intersection. She'd gone far enough in that direction that she might reach safety faster if she kept at it.

Eventually, Nina did come across a split in the tunnel. With it came a B6 painted on the wall alongside directions to other unhelpfully named destinations. Next to them resided a heavy door. Presumably, it concealed another railway station behind it.

 _Well, now seems like a good time to figure out where I am. I just need to get above ground._ Nina turned to Salika and said, "Wait here." Not that she expected him to understand her, but on the off chance he did, then fantastic. At any rate, he seemed not to wander much when left to his own devices, so she wasn't worried.

Nina stepped out through the door onto another station as expected and quickly found a sign directing her to the exit. As she approached the stairs leading up, she heard the faint murmur of conversation echoing from the distance. The source was too far away to distinguish between English and Japanese just yet, so she proceeded cautiously.

"–être celui qui le tue."

The words were French, oddly enough. It was a better sign than Japanese, but the subject matter worried Nina. Her French was poor at best, but she was reasonably confident the voice mentioned wanting to kill someone. As quietly as possible, Nina crept closer.

"Si les occasions le permettent, C.C., ça ira."

 _Something about…opportunity allowing?_

"Bien. Sommes-nous prêts à partir?"

Nina understood that one perfectly. From the sound of it, the two voices were about to leave. Urgency pushed her cautious advance faster, but when the next words came, she froze midstep. They were spoken in Japanese; she was sure of it! A few new voices responded to the original two.

 _The – they're the t-terrorist!_ Nina's heart pounded in her ears the instant she put words to what she'd already known. Her knees trembled and threatened to give out on her, but she endured. With shuddering breath, inch by inch, she crept back in the direction she'd come from. As she did, the original voices returned to using French. She could barely hear the conversation over her own heart, but she did catch the occasional word or two.

 _I don't… Why are they talking about making pizza? A really big pizza?_

Nina briefly recalled Euphie mentioning that Milly wanted to make a giant pizza but just as quickly shoved the intrusive thought to the back of her mind.

Turning around a corner, Nina came face to back with a terrorist. He'd not noticed her. All she had to do to stay safe was step back, wait, and not make a sound.

Nina took a half-step back.

The terrorist shouted something to the others.

Nina shrieked, and wasn't that just the worst idea she'd ever had?

The terrorist spun toward Nina with wide eyes, and she fled before he could get a good look at her. Shouting broke out behind her as she descended the stairs back down to the station proper. She could hear the pounding of footsteps gaining on her.

Nina fumbled with her ID. With shaking hands, she attempted to insert it into the card reader. She swore with increasing dismay the first, second, and third try before she actually managed it. She could hear the terrorists approaching still but more slowly now, cautiously, like she was a threat.

As soon as she was through the door, Nina slammed it behind her. She looked down each path she could take to run away, but all three were long, narrow corridors they could easily run her down in if they didn't just shoot her in the back.

 _The door will hold. The door has to hold. It has to. Please, please, hold, please._

Despite her plea, the worst sound in the world met Nina's ears: the door _unlocked_. The terrorists _had a keycard_.

 _I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead. I don't want to die. Please, I don't want to die._

Out of the corner of her eye, the sight of Salika reminded Nina that she was not alone. An idea crossed her mind. She almost berated herself for acting like a five-year-old, but it was really all she had. She quickly hid behind the Japanese man with the impossible hope of going unnoticed behind him.

The door burst open, and a pair of terrorists ran into the room with guns held aloft and ready to fire. One turned to check the left hall and the other the right. A third came immediately after them with a rifle aimed at Salika and Nina behind him. Another pair waited outside the service hallway looking in.

The middle terrorist in the hallway barked what sounded like an order. Salika, of course, was no help whatsoever and continued on in his own little world.

The terrorist yelled again, and when nothing productive happened, he fired a warning shot. Nina flinched and tried to shrink in on herself into a ball while still on her feet but somehow managed not to descend into hysterics.

Another of terrorists spoke this time. Nina recognised the word 'Refrain', although it was horribly pronounced.

The middle terrorist spoke again. This time, Nina heard the word 'Brit', which could only refer to her.

Eventually, one of the terrorists spoke in broken English that, for the life of her, Nina could not understand with her heart hammering in her head.

A terrorist stepped forward and physically grabbed Nina. She screamed and struggled to pull herself away, but his grip was far too strong for her to break. She begged, but he paid her pleas no heed and dragged her out of the service hallway onto the platform by the arm. Once out in the open, the terrorist tossed Nina roughly to the ground where she collapsed in tears. The four others with him surrounded her at the base of the stairwell leading up. One of them kept watch on the service door while the other three pointed their guns at her.

After a short conversation between the terrorists in Japanese, one of them spoke in much less painful English than before.

"Who are you?"

With a great deal of stammering and blubbering, Nina eventually managed, "Nina Einstein."

"What are you doing here?"

"T-t-tr-trying t-t-to l-leave."

"Don't lie!" the terrorist demanded with an accompanying sharp kick to the gut.

Despite the pain, Nina pled, "I'm not! I'm not! I swear, I'm not!"

"Then what–"

The terrorist abruptly fell into a gurgle as blood seeped from a long gash on his neck. He coughed up more as he fell to his knees. The shock had no time to work its way through the other terrorists before everything changed, and Nina found herself perfectly positioned to witness it.

Marrybell fell from above, an arming sword in her right hand and a pistol in her left. She moved in silence with pure rage on her face, fire in her eyes, and a demonic smile to fuel nightmares. In that moment, hers was a visage forever burnt into Nina's mind. She was terrifying. She was beautiful. She was savage. She was graceful. She was the worst kind of saviour and the greatest of demons.

Before anyone could react, Marrybell landed behind a terrorist and ran him through with her sword. She used his body as a human shield, positioning it by use of its new handle, and levelled her pistol on another terrorist. She fired, and that was the third to fall.

As this happened, another figure dropped onto a terrorist feet first on the opposite side of the ring. She sent the man tumbling to the ground as she leapt off his shoulders and flew into a backflip overhead the remaining terrorist. She flung a kunai, and then only the terrorist groaning on the floor remained alive. Without a moment's delay, she tossed another projectile, and the last terrorist let out a weak cry before falling limp. He yet breathed, but he was down.

It was over.

Stunned silent, Nina watched Marrybell pry her sword from her first victim. She paused a moment to give it a considering look before replacing it within its scabbard. The pistol, too, she holstered, and then finally turned her attention to Nina.

"Are there any others?"

Nina shook her head frantically. "N-not down here."

"Good. Then let's leave before we're overrun." Marrybell extended a bloodstained hand.

"I… I… I-I-I-I…" Unable to help herself and unable to form words, Nina descended into tears of relief. She was alive. It was impossible, but she was alive.

* * *

Marrybell sighed as she watched Nina break down. This was really not the time. They _needed_ to leave as quickly as possible. Despite that, she remembered when she'd once been in Nina's position. This was not an easy experience to go through.

Crouching down, Marrybell gathered Nina into her arms and whispered soft, reassuring words of little actual substance. Slowly, far too slowly, Nina's tears waned into mere sniffles with the occasional sob.

"Are you ready to go?" Marrybell asked patiently.

"Y-yes."

"Alright." Marrybell slipped her hands into Nina's. She said, "Let's get you up, then," and pulled Nina to her feet.

"Thank you." Nina's voice came out as a ghost of a whisper, but Marrybell still caught it.

"You're welcome." Marrybell gestured with her head toward Shizue. Nina got the hint right away.

"And thank yo…y-you…you…"

"Nina?"

Marrybell took a step to the side to observe the girl, and want she saw was not good. Nina visibly shook. Her pupils dilated, and she'd long since stopped blinking. Her breaths came in more and more ragged gasps.

 _Oh, fuck, she's having a panic attack. Why now?_ Half a second after she posed the question, Marrybell made the connection and swore under her breath. She spun Nina in place and buried the girl's head in her shoulder. "Shizue, would you please secure our escape route. And take him." She nodded toward the sole living terrorist.

"Of course, Your Highness," Shizue said with a bow. "For what it's worth, Miss Einstein, I take no offence. I'll wait to accept your gratitude until you're ready to give it."

Long after they were alone, Nina finally managed to mumble, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, no, none of that. I understand. Shizue understands. It's fine."

"Still sorry."

Marrybell sighed inwardly. "Apology accepted. I'm sorry, too. Any other time I wouldn't do this, but we _really_ need to move. Just…hold my hand, and we'll get out of here. Can you do that?"

Nina nodded, and they departed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, that's Nina traumatised in spite of a nail. If you know who Yanni Salika is, I'm sure you realise he deserves far, far worse than anything that happened to him here. And yeah, Nina totally forgot he existed at the end there. Heroic!Nina would be so disappointed in her.

Anyway, this was a surprisingly difficult chapter to write (mostly because my free time disappeared for a few weeks), but it's done. We've seen a small slice of the Code R raid, and more will come when Naoto shows Marrybell that security footage from the end of Stage 13, but I'll not be belabouring the events. Most of the raid isn't very interesting. The next proper battle(s) won't be until Leila takes the stage.

The next chapter will either be an omake (which is already in its approximate final state) or the next proper stage depending on how things go.

Special thanks go to Lendary. We don't agree on everything, but we had a productive (on my end, at least) conversation that made this chapter better than it originally was.


	17. R1 S16 - Endings and Beginnings

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 16 - Endings and Beginnings

 **Narita, Area 11  
** **April 3, 2016 a.t.b.**

Even after six years, the scars of war lingered on the Narita mountains. The flora had returned and regrown over the craters left behind by artillery shell and air strike, but the new trees were young and growing, not yet ready to match their forebears. The pronounced gaps in the mountain forest revealed the tragic past of the land.

It was rather symbolic of Japan itself. Despite Britannia's clear and overwhelming technological advantage during the war, the country's leadership had refused to surrender. In response, Britannia had turned to massacring random sections of the population to force the issue. If Japan was determined to fight to the last man, be they soldier or civilian, then that resolve would be put to the test.

The persistence and willpower the Japanese had needed to remain firm in its conviction to see the war to its ultimate end possessed a certain admirability. It took considerable strength of character to stare death in the face and say, "This is my home. You will not take it from me while I yet draw breath."

It was also terrifying in its pointlessness.

Britannia had not hesitated to mow down everyone who stood before them. The only future promised then to the Japanese was to be remembered with reverence for their conviction. Britannia respected that in friend and foe alike. Yet still no surrender came, not until one monster had taken it upon himself to inflict irreversible chaos within the Japanese government to end the madness.

And so the people endured. They returned and repopulated. They felt cheated, perhaps rightfully so, and they were scarred, but they endured nonetheless.

Suzaku sipped from his cup of tea.

The weather was pleasantly warm for early April. A gentle breeze rolled in from the sea, and sun shone freely in the sky above. Today was the perfect day to let go of everything until duty and responsibility called the day after.

Footsteps approached from behind, ascending in long, even beats. Their source was tall and moved with purpose to its destination.

Suzaku sipped from his cup of tea.

A presence settled into place at the crest of the hill beside Suzaku. It took in the vista before them in silent reflection, cloaked in an aura of quiet strength and wisdom.

"What is it that you see?" The question was simple and open-ended so as not to bias the listener, but the implied meaning was clear.

"The trees," Suzaku stated simply. His answer never changed no matter how many different ways he had the question posed to him. "And you?"

"The mountain beneath the forest." The same answer as always.

Suzaku sipped from his cup of tea.

Not in the mood to philosophise and rehash old arguments, Suzaku changed the subject. "Marrybell called earlier today. She asked me to return to Tokyo for a few weeks. She didn't tell me why, but it sounded urgent."

There was no hesitation in the response. "You may go. I'll be absent myself for a time. I imagine she and I are wrestling with the same concern at the moment."

 _Oh? How unusual._ The JLF and Marrybell's concerns were usually each other, not a common threat. _Is the Chinese Federation up to something? Perhaps it has to do with the war with Russia. Hmm…_

Suzaku sipped from his cup of tea.

"Come. We have a guest who wishes to speak with you."

 _A guest for me?_ That rarely boded well. "Who, might I ask?"

"Sumeragi-sama."

"Ah." A wary smile grew on Suzaku. "Please lead the way, then, Tohdoh-sensei."

Together the pair left the hill at a sedate pace to return to their home nearby. Once inside, Tohdoh led Suzaku into the sitting room where he came face to face with his twelve-year-old cousin, Sumeragi Kaguya. She was dressed in a furisode, as was her wont, and wore a modified hime cut that left her forehead exposed. Upon her brow resided the last piece of imperial regalia left to the Japanese people.

Unlike her appearance, Kaguya's reaction to Suzaku's entrance was not what he had expected. She usually threw decorum to the wind except at the most formal of occasions and would have wrapped him in a clingy hug by now. Instead, she sat in seiza with a stern, solemn look upon her face so at odds with her youth.

In the face of this dramatic change, Suzaku hesitantly offered a, "Good afternoon, Kaguya-chan."

"Good afternoon, Suzaku-kun. Please be seated."

Suzaku glanced at Tohdoh out of the corner of his eye before doing as asked. The man revealed nothing and merely took a seat himself.

"Now, then," Kaguya began, "please tell me everything you know about Kōzuki Naoto."

 _Huh? Kallen's half-brother?_ Bemused but recognising why _he_ was being asked, Suzaku said, "Well, I know almost nothing about the man, but as you wish."

* * *

 **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
** **Nakano Ghetto, Area 11  
** **April 4, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Then when I turned around, there was a Brit right behind me. She ran before I could catch more than a glimpse of her, so we sent Shinozaki-san and C.C.-san on ahead with Shinichirō-kun."

Naoto resisted face palming. If Shinozaki – wherever she and C.C. were – had not already let him know that both of them had gotten out safely, he would have organised a massive search party. Then again, Tamaki _had_ been getting somewhat more reliable lately. Perhaps he was being unfair.

"We chased the Brit downstairs, expecting an ambush. We'd cleared the area before, so we were on edge. When we caught up to her...we may have jumped to conclusions. She was hiding behind a Japanese man on Refrain, so we dragged her out to question her. We'd just gotten started when Hideyoshi-san started bleeding. Then there was this pink blur."

 _Oh, please, no._ If Marrybell had been personally involved, this could turn into a disaster. The rest of the raid had gone _so well_. With all of the information Shinozaki had provided, it'd been _so easy_.

"Another woman hit me with something that knocked me out. The next thing I knew, I was tied to a chair in a room with Princess Marrybell right in front of me and another woman behind me. She said the Brit was one of her friends."

Naoto didn't want to ask. He really wanted to pretend this had never happened. "What did her friend look like?"

"Uh, green hair. Glasses. Petite. Kinda looked like an otaku?"

Naoto swore under his breath. That sounded like Nina Einstein, which meant he was going to have four royals and his sister after his head – five royals if one counted the viceroy.

"Did the princess let you go?" Naoto asked. He assumed so, but one never knew.

"Yeah. After I answered a few questions about her friend, she just let me leave. I checked for bugs and trackers but didn't find any."

Naoto's phone vibrated. He spared it a brief glance and saw he had a message from Marrybell.

"Go straight to Sugiyama-san and get checked over officially." Naoto hesitated a moment. "You should probably take a laxative as well."

Naoto's phone vibrated again. He didn't need to look to know Marrybell had sent him another message.

"Do you have anything else to report?"

"No, Kōzuki-sama."

"Then you're dismissed." Once Naoto was alone, he let out a long sigh. Warily, he picked up his phone.

'Amateur,' the first message read. The second was just a long string of mocking laughter.

 _Well, I might as well get this over with._ Naoto dialled Marrybell's number. The line connected before it could even ring. "You wanted to talk?"

"I'm not sure 'talk' is the most accurate verb choice, but it shall do."

Naoto could feel a headache building already. This was a perfect example of why he'd never wanted to be an earl. Here was a situation where no one was really in the wrong, but someone had gotten hurt, and now _he_ had to leave everyone happy enough not to start a war.

"I'm sorry Miss Einstein got caught up in my operation."

"Oh, thank you! I'm sure you apologising to me will make Nina feel like a new woman."

 _Ugh._ "I know you're upset, but–"

"Upset?" Marrybell interrupted. "Oh, no, Naoto. I'm not upset. I am so far beyond the pale that I'm positively bubbling."

"Perhaps you should lead this conversation," Naoto offered as politely as he could manage.

"Very well. Do you know _why_ I'm angry?"

The memory of Kallen asking Naoto that exact same question after the Battle of Shinjuku flashed through his mind. He assumed that meant Marrybell's fury didn't stem from her friend's unpleasant run-in with his people – or not directly, at least. There had to be some other root cause that Einstein's trouble had prodded.

Of course, with personalities like Marrybell's, there were a few standard fallbacks.

"You believe what happened to Miss Einstein is your fault?"

"Oh, so you _do_ understand," Marrybell said. The faux cheer in her voice had vanished.

Naoto said nothing. He'd honestly just been guessing. Fortunately, Marrybell went on to explain for him.

"I could crush you and your organisation. By all rights, I _should_. Kallen and Lelouch may have left you to do as you will, but that doesn't grant you my wilful ignorance. I've _chosen_ to trust you when I should simply put a stop to you. That makes you _my_ responsibility. That makes your fuck ups _my_ fuck ups. And that makes me doubly at fault for what happened to Nina. Under my aegis, she came to harm by your direct actions."

As Naoto listened to Marrybell indirectly berate herself, he felt a deep sense of kinship take root within him. He'd developed a similar sense of responsibility for the actions of others not under his direct command after Kallen had chastised him following Shinjuku. If circumstances were different, they could probably be the best of friends.

"I want to know what was so bloody important that you started a full scale battle in a civilian area. Then maybe, _maybe_ , I can sleep at night knowing that I wasn't wrong to trust you."

"I understand," Naoto said. He did, but that still left him in the awkward position of needing to keep Marrybell from triggering the war he'd set out to prevent out of anger. "I'm not saying I won't tell you" – the aura of Marrybell's rising temper was palpable even over the phone – "but there's more at stake here for all of us than you might realise. If I do inform you, can I trust you in turn to let me handle it?"

No answer came.

The silence stretched.

"No."

"Oh." Naoto appreciated Marrybell's honesty, if not her answer. He briefly considered offering to work together instead, but he doubted she would accept that either. She'd probably be offended. "I don't know where that leaves us, then."

"Well, if the military can't hunt you down – and if you're even half as competent as I believe, they won't – it will turn to Clovis for guidance, which is pointless, because he'll have none to offer. He'll then turn to me and give me _his_ story, which I'll be compelled to investigate myself. Possibly with all the grace of a sledgehammer."

 _I see. So her counteroffer is to give her enough information to be a scalpel instead._ Naoto sunk into thought and considered if it would be less disastrous for Marrybell to have it or to let her stumble around in the dark. Without it, she might get herself killed if she got caught. On the other hand, she would likely _only_ get herself killed, not start a war. It would take time for her to investigate as well, and time, truthfully, was all he really needed from her.

 _Best give her just enough to understand how dire the situation is,_ Naoto decided. "Very well, Marrybell. I was acting to prevent a civil war. The viceroy was experimenting on a close friend of the emperor against her will."

Indistinct noises came from the other end of the phone, and a sinking feeling settled into Naoto's chest. Had he given away too much with such a simple admission?

"Marrybell? Are you still there?"

A few moments later, Marrybell said, "Yes. Thank you for telling me. I'll handle this information with extreme caution. You should do the same."

"Your brother wasn't the only one involved," Naoto hastily added.

"I'm sure. We can swap notes another time. I have someone else to deal with at the moment."

Naoto winced as Marrybell abruptly ended the call. That could have gone better. Still, it could have gone worse. Certainly, he'd feared a far, far worse outcome. If nothing else, it at least sounded as though there would be no more battles or shinobi knocking on his doorstep in the near future.

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **April 4, 2016 a.t.b.**

On the walk to Marrybell's house from the nearest railway station, the pavement followed a long, winding path through the surrounding hills until it reached the bottom of the valley and levelled out. Along the way, one could easily jump over the railing at the edge of a particularly steep slope and climb vertically down to bypass a whole kilometre. Euphemia always chose this route when she came to visit – excluding that first disastrous attempt in a skirt – and this time was no exception despite her minor variation in execution.

"Look out below!" Euphemia called out moments before she leapt over the railing with a mischievous smile. Gravity took hold of her, and she plummeted. Unconcerned, she leaned back and waited. Sure enough, as expected, she landed cradled in the arms of the man who'd been walking the lower path.

Bemused, Suzaku asked, "Are you alright?" as he set Euphemia down onto her feet.

"Perfectly. Thank you for your assistance, Suzaku." She gave him a friendly thank you kiss on the cheek which left him blushing and unable to look her in the eye. Seeing that, she giggled to herself. Suzaku was such a sweet boy. It warmed Euphemia's heart to know Marrybell had someone like him in her life to smooth out her rough edges.

"Ano… You're welcome. You're…Euphyllia Linette, right?"

"Just 'Euphie', please."

"Euphie, then. What are you doing here?"

"Visiting my sister." Euphemia looped her arm around Suzaku's. "As we seem to be headed the same way, could I impose upon you to escort me there?"

"I – of course, My Lady." And they departed. After a few moments to set the pace, Suzaku said, "I remember being introduced to Nuuna, but I don't recall you mentioning having another sister."

A small grin crept onto Euphemia's face. It would seem Marrybell had neglected to inform Suzaku of their relation. "I have several, actually. I come from a big family."

"Oh? How is that? I'm an only child."

"It has its ups and downs," Euphemia replied. "If nothing else, one can always find pleasurable company."

"An interesting way to think of it. Marrybell would probably say something similar about hers."

"I imagine she would put it in rather more extreme terms."

"True," Suzaku said with a firm nod. "So where may we find this sister of yours?"

"At Marrybell's."

"Really? Have they known each other long?"

"Oh yes. For years now."

"Huh. That's strange."

Euphemia suppressed her laughter and asked, "How so?"

"Marrybell usually only invites people she trusts absolutely into her home. I thought I knew them all. I know all of the staff, too." Suzaku paused a moment. "Unless, perhaps, your sister is married?"

"I should hope not!" Euphemia said in feigned outrage. "She's not even a year my elder. And even if she were, she would keep her name. But in the spirit of your question, however, she's not a Linette."

"Ah. Adopted?"

"She's my half-sister."

"Ano… I'm not sure if – should I not enquire further?"

"No, don't worry," Euphemia said reassuringly. "Our father married both of our mothers." Seeing the question Suzaku wanted to ask but wouldn't on his lips, she added, "At the same time, of course. Tragedy has touched our lives many times, but that came later."

"I'm sorry for making you recall it."

Euphemia waved off Suzaku's concern; she'd come to terms with her own relatively minor bereavements long ago. As she did, the pair breezed through the outer security at the perimeter of Marrybell's home, Suzaku being all but a resident and her a welcomed guest.

"Perhaps I can guess who your sister is?" Suzaku suggested as they continued the walk to Marrybell's front door. "Tell me about her."

"Hmm… Do you know the Pollyanna archetype?"

"Always happy and eager to see the best in every situation?"

"Mm-hmm," Euphemia hummed. "Imagine the exact opposite with an intense drive to _fix everything_."

"Euphie," Suzaku began, barely holding back laughter, "that's mean."

"Oh, she's very honest with herself. I think she would be the first to admit it. Probably even wear it as a badge of honour. Sound familiar to you?"

"A little," Suzaku admitted, "but not to my advantage." As they arrived at the front door, he held it open for Euphemia and said, "After you."

"Thank you, kind sir, and thank you for escorting me." As Euphemia said the words, Marrybell walked into the vestibule. Just for fun, she slipped into a curtsy appropriate for greeting royalty but most definitely strange between royals.

"I'm glad you're both – what on Earth are you doing?"

"Good evening, Your Highness," Euphemia said. She didn't bother to hide her smile as she then confessed her crimes. "I beg clemency of you, for I have wronged your dear friend. At his expense, I have greatly enjoyed myself. Please have mercy upon this misguided soul."

Marrybell rolled her eyes.

"Euphie, you don't need to–"

Interrupting, Marrybell said, "Suzaku, let me reintroduce you now that we're not at Ashford. This is my sister, Euphemia li Britannia."

Suzaku looked back and forth between the sisters. "Well, I am the fool."

Euphemia giggled.

"I'm not even going to ask," Marrybell said. "I don't want to know."

Suzaku mumbled his gratitude for the easy escape granted to him.

"Regardless," Marrybell continued, "does anyone want to guess who was responsible for the incident in Kokubunji?"

Judging by the irritated tone, Euphemia could guess, but Suzaku beat her to it. "Naoto Kōzuki, right?" Marrybell regarded him questioningly, to which he replied, "Kaguya asked me to tell her everything I know about him yesterday."

"Oh? Interesting. I'll be eager to hear if he accepts Kyōto House's aid when they reach out to him. He'd have to play by their rules, and I doubt that–" Marrybell paused a moment. "She _was_ asking on their behalf, was she not?"

Suzaku shrugged. "Probably, but who knows with her."

"True enough, the precocious little runt. So what did you tell her?"

"As she asked, everything."

Marrybell chuckled. "Well, that must have left her frustrated."

Suzaku shrugged again but added nothing more. With the lull in the conversation, Euphemia took the opportunity to clear her throat and remind those two that there was someone else in the room with them, someone who lacked _considerable_ amounts of context.

"Ah. Sorry, about that," Marrybell said. "Suzaku, would you ask Akane to prepare snacks for us while I get Euphemia caught up? This is going to be a long night."

Suzaku agreed and departed deeper into the house toward the kitchen. As he did, the girls left for the parlour.

"How is Nina?" Euphemia asked as they walked.

"A little better than when you left for school this morning," Marrybell said. "She was resting when I last checked in on her."

"That's good. Has she had another panic attack?"

"Unfortunately. She bumped into Akane after lunch. I've suggested she move to Ashford at least until her ribs heal, but she's resolute."

Euphemia sighed. _Of course_ the usually pliable little scientist would choose her own health and wellbeing to become obstinate over. "She has too many role models in her life capable of shrugging off what she went through." A thought occurred. "Kallen has gone through similar experiences before. Do you think she'll have any leave here before she and Lelouch depart for Russia?"

"I'd imagine she could make time," Marrybell said, "but do you really think she's the right person for Nina to talk to?"

After a few seconds, Euphemia admitted, "No, not at all."

"My thoughts exactly. I'm hoping a slightly more familiar face than Akane will help instead."

"Suzaku?"

Marrybell nodded.

"Hmm, he _does_ manage the lonely, cuddly puppy look very well."

Marrybell turned her head away and poorly buried a snicker beneath a hand.

"Have you told Nina anything about the incident?" Euphemia asked.

"I have, actually."

"Oh? Not worried about her letting something slip?"

With a shrug, Marrybell said, "We're trusting her with something far more important, so I saw no reason not to when she insisted. Knowing that it wasn't just senseless violence did seem to help her somewhat."

Euphemia's lips pressed into a thin line. She'd truly hoped this would all turn out to be a big misunderstanding, but it was not to be. "So it _was_ human experimentation, then?"

With a scowl and clenched fists, Marrybell nodded.

"Clovis…" _What happened to you?_ Euphemia shook her head of the thought. "Have you told Nina who orchestrated the raid?"

"No, I'd intended to save that bombshell until she's actually ready to hear it. Unless you think otherwise?"

"No, I agree. It's not something she needs to hear right now. I do hope it won't affect her friendship with Kallen, though."

As the pair entered the parlour, Euphemia's eyes quickly took in the obvious changes from only this morning. One of the tables had an oily sheet covering it. Atop it sat a whetstone, a pair of leather gloves, a small cloth, and a half-dozen other odds and ends. In its scabbard, an arming sword sat on the clean end of the sheet.

Euphemia knew the weapon was no more a decoration than Kallen's was a chic accessory. She laughed in a light, uneasy manner as she pushed aside vivid imaginations of what use Marrybell had recently put it to. "Not exactly the mess one expects to encounter in a princess's home," she commented with a playful nudge from her shoulder.

"No, your sister would have guns out in your home instead."

"Touché." Euphemia chose not to observe that Cornelia was Kallen's swordmaster and occasional sparring partner. Instead, she took her seat at a clean table.

"I apologise for the mess nonetheless. I'd been putting off maintenance, and after speaking with Naoto…"

"I understand," Euphemia said. She'd seen Cornelia and Kallen slip into an almost meditative state when cleaning their own weapons more than once. "Anyway, you were going to bring me up to speed?"

"Indeed. I'm unsure what you already know, so I'll just give you a summary of all the major players. When Suzaku gets back, I'll brief you both on the current situation."

With a nod, Euphemia leaned back into her chair and prepared to listen.

"There are a few dozen big names in the colony. Clovis you already know, but the two other most relevant are General Asprius and Duke Calares.

"General Asprius is the head of the local army. The son of two commoners, he worked his way up through the ranks mostly through his administrative skills. He distinguished himself by rallying the army after the defeat at Itsukushima during the Invasion of Japan and pressed on to take Hiroshima. After the Second Pacific War ended, Clovis acknowledged his efforts and loyalty to the imperial family and offered him his current command. Needless to say, he fights wars better than he puts down insurgency.

"Unlike the general, Duke Calares is aristocracy through and through. He's the second son of a duke and managed to get Tokyo for his own through effective leadership on the field rather than off it. That and no small amount of familial influence. The management of Tokyo is left mostly to his advisers while he plays politics with the other nobles in the colony. Clovis usually lets him have his way as his ambitions are mostly harmless, although I have noticed that he's followed Clovis's lead more often recently.

"To the best of my knowledge, those two and Clovis are the primary minds behind the Code R project.

"On the other side, there's Naoto, of course. You know him better than I do. He heads a growing pseudo-government in the ghettos that functions in many capacities that he really shouldn't have to provide the Japanese for us. He raided the Code R site and rescued the subject or subjects within for reasons I'll explain later. I don't know where he got his information from as I've yet to properly interrogate him, but I have my suspicions.

"Lastly, observing everything, there's the NAC. It stands for…Native…Alliance…Committee?" After a moment, Marrybell shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Literally everyone uses the acronym. Anyway, in the terms of Japan's surrender, it worked out a deal that allowed its members to retain control of the Mount Fuji sakuradite mines and their own enterprises. It consists of six of Japan's wealthiest families, both then and now. To give you a sense of scale, they each have wealth on par with Kallen's."

Euphemia whistled, impressed. Between New York City's tax revenue and Stadtfeld Industries, Kallen was the type of girl who regularly dealt with numbers in the tens of billions, sometimes hundreds.

"I can't prove it, but the NAC is the primary source of funding behind the area's resistance movements and terrorist cells. It operates under the name Kyōto House. Notably, its beneficiaries include the JLF but _not_ the Kōzuki Resistance. Of the consortium, there are two members of particular note.

"Taizō Kirihara is the head of the Kirihara family and the unofficial leader of the NAC. He had a lot of pull with the Japanese government and worked closely with Britannia in establishing the colony after the war. Most Japanese call him Kirihara the Traitor. My next shogi match with him is this Saturday."

Euphemia quirked an eyebrow. "Shogi? Not chess?"

"Loser picks," Marrybell explained with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Clovis usually appoints me to act as his representative as regards the NAC since I know Kirihara, speak Japanese, and am not a dullard. He and I typically spend the time snarking at each other in-between actual business discussions.

"Finally, we come to Kaguya Sumeragi. She's twelve, the last Sumeragi, and possesses the kind of precocious genius for politics that Nina has in physics. She's also the closest living relative to the last Emperor of Japan. Fortunately, the NAC otherwise consists of traditional old men, so no one really listens to her."

"She's also my cousin and one of Marrybell's closest friends," Suzaku said as he walked into the room. He smiled and added, "Even if neither will admit it."

"Mutual respect does not imply friendship," Marrybell protested. "I'm not friends with the littlest terrorist."

"Oh? Is that what she is?" Suzaku's smile turned roguish. "But you just said that no one listens to her. She could be arguing for every Japanese woman to wed the emperor behind closed doors, and the world would look the same to you and me."

"Don't twist my words!"

"Very well. Then in that case, do you want me to tell Kaguya not to send her daifuku for your birthday this June?"

Marrybell looked visibly torn. No words passed her lips, but Euphemia did hear a soft, despairing whine emanate from her as she wrestled with the decision.

An amused Suzaku took his seat while he said, "And this is what I have to live with, Your Highness."

Giggling, Euphemia returned Suzaku's smile. "It's still just Euphie, please, or Euphemia if you prefer." After she received a nod, she asked, "So if you're Kaguya's cousin and she's the heiress to the throne, should I be thinking of you as a prince?"

"No, no," Suzaku said, waving his hand back and forth as if he could swat the idea from the air. "I'm far enough down the line of succession that it's not worth mentioning at all. Japan's royalty had no political power anyway. We were a republic in all but name." Brushing the topic aside without a word more, he added, "Akane said she'd bring everything up in about twenty minutes."

"Good," Marrybell said. "In the meantime, let's begin. We need to decide on a tentative course of action going forward tonight. First, Suzaku, do you have any questions?"

Suzaku shook his head and said, "Nothing immediate beyond the obvious."

"Wonderful. Euphemia?"

"No."

"Then I'll start us off by sharing what I know of the incident on Saturday.

"According to Naoto, the Code R Project _did_ involve human experimentation as we expected. Among the victims was one of the emperor's personal friends."

Marrybell didn't need to explain why this was a _very bad idea_ , but she did explain how far-reaching the consequences could be given the level of corruption in the Area Eleven government. Ignoring all of the other repercussions, igniting a war between all the superpowers centred on the Japanese islands would be the final nail in the coffin for a conquered country and the ruin of a failing colony.

"Ultimately," Marrybell continued, "and though I hate to admit it, it's probably for the best that Naoto was the one who shut down Code R. And it is _gone_. The site is nothing more than a ruin now. Whatever evidence we might have found there has been reduced to rubble.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I don't know where Naoto got all his information from yet, but I'm not sure if I would have been able to obtain the important bit myself. At least not before I decided to expose Clovis. Needless to say, that would have been bad. For now, so long as Clovis thinks that Naoto believes he's stolen poison gas, Clovis and his accomplices should keep themselves occupied chasing after ghosts instead of planning a desperate rebellion."

With Marrybell's explanation fresh in her mind and Lelouch and Kallen being off at war never far from her thoughts, a strange idea occurred to Euphemia. Her uncertainty must have shown on her face, as Marrybell asked, "Euphemia, what is it?"

"Well… You're both aware that Russia declared war on us, right?" After Euphemia received a pair of nods, she continued, "If we manage to take Russia's territory on the coast, the EU wouldn't be able to exert nearly as much naval pressure in the Pacific, let alone invade the colony. I was just considering that maybe Father already knows about Clovis, but then I remembered that we weren't the ones who declared war, so that couldn't–"

"Euphemia," Marrybell interrupted with a frigid anger underlying her voice. "Do you need me to list all the times and all the ways the emperor has gotten the war he wanted while seeming innocent himself?"

"What?" And then Euphemia remembered exactly who she was talking to. "Oh. No, you're right. I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"It's a good idea, though," Suzaku inserted into the silence, dispelling most of the lingering tension. "We could probably rebuff the Chinese Federation if the EU can't interfere directly."

"We can," Marrybell said. The coldness left her voice. "I considered that myself, but the timing doesn't match. The Code R Project hasn't been around long enough for the emperor to discover it, notice his friend was an unwilling participant, _and_ compel Russia into declaring war. It's possible, I suppose, but unlikely."

"But Lelouch and Kallen were ready and waiting for the invasion," Euphemia commented.

"I didn't say the emperor wasn't responsible for the war or expecting it, only that his motivation – initially, at least – wasn't to rescue and avenge his friend. Regardless, we're veering off on a tangent. We need to decide what to do now that we don't have evidence of Code R to tear down everyone involved with the project."

"Do we need to do anything?" Suzaku asked. "Won't the emperor deal with this himself?"

Marrybell pressed her lips into a thin line and hesitated to answer, so Euphemia took the lead. "He will, but we'd pass up a major opportunity to obtain political power and create a strong, positive public image for ourselves."

"Exactly," said Marrybell. A grateful smile flashed across her face. Having had to talk her down from outright murder, Euphemia knew she wanted – perhaps _needed_ – to bring Clovis to justice herself. That more than any other potential gains was her goal. "There's an added complication as well. Naoto said he intended to finish the job himself, which could mean several things.

"First, he could intend to make his own bid for the island, which would accomplish that, but considering his stated motivation for his actions, it's highly unlikely. It's also unlikely he has the material necessary to prosecute a war in even the most optimistic estimates. He leads more of a government than a rebellion.

"Second, he might intend to mete out justice himself. This would be in keeping with his usual behaviour of championing justice and order in the ghettos, and Suzaku, I don't want to hear it."

Suzaku held up his hands in submission. "I didn't say a word. I know better than to argue with you again over the corruption in the police force. You don't need to break out the charts."

Marrybell harrumphed. Meanwhile, Euphemia smiled and chuckled to herself. Suzaku really was good for Marrybell. The last time she'd seen her sister so genuine as she'd been today, they'd both been children and Flora and Julia had been alive.

"Third, Naoto has no intention of taking independent action but _knows_ something will be done and doesn't want us to get in the way of that. I personally consider this case the most likely. He knew _far_ too much about the Code R site given the circumstances, which meant he was getting his information from someone outside his sphere of influence, probably someone he knows who works directly for the emperor. Euphemia, do you have any idea who that might be?"

Euphemia pushed her mind back to Aries Villa and Stadtfeld Manor. The only names she might be able to provide would have to come from the time between when Kallen – and Naoto, by extension – had entered her life but before she'd left the homeland for Ashford Academy. She listed each person as they came to her whether plausible or not.

"There's Marianne and Sayoko, of course, and, if you count them, Lelouch and Kallen," Euphemia rattled off.

"Dead, probably dead, and no," Marrybell replied.

Continuing on, Euphemia said, "A few Knights of the Round I believe at least know of Naoto. Nonette. Lord Waldstein. Lord Manfredi. Lady Ernst."

"Too high profile," Marrybell commented.

"I know Cornelia has spoken with him several times."

"Same problem but more so."

"One of the staff from Aries Villa six years ago, perhaps."

"A possibility," Marrybell allowed.

"What about the Stadtfelds?" Suzaku asked.

Euphemia hesitated a moment and mentally rephrased the question. Suzaku clearly wasn't aware of what had happened all those years ago. "It's not likely. The current staff is loyal to Kallen alone."

Suzaku opened his mouth, but a swift and none too subtle kick beneath the table from Marrybell clued him in on the exact meaning of 'current' and what had happened to the disloyal. "Right," he said. "Anyone else?"

"Hmm…" One last name came to mind. "There's Anya Alstreim," Euphemia mused.

"Who?" Marrybell said.

"An old acquaintance I've lost touch with. I highly doubt she'd be involved, though. I'm not sure she even knows Naoto exists."

"Other ideas, then?"

"No one in particular comes to mind."

"Strange," Marrybell said as much to herself as anyone else. "I wouldn't expect Naoto to trust someone he doesn't know when it comes to this kind of information." After a few seconds, she shrugged. "Well, whatever. I don't know him that well. So? Same question as before. What do we do now?"

"Would Kōzuki have taken evidence with him from Code R?" Suzaku asked.

"The raid was well executed," Marrybell replied, "so unless he was instructed not to, I'd imagine so. I'll ask after it eventually, but I highly doubt he'll hand any of it over to me. He already has plans, whatever they are, and doesn't want me to throw a spanner in the works. He'd have been more cooperative when I spoke with him otherwise."

Unable to help herself, Euphemia giggled as an idea occurred. When Marrybell turned a curious eyebrow onto her, she said, "We could always steal it from him."

Marrybell cracked a grin. "Yes, we could. Sounds like a migraine in the making, though, and I'd rather not risk it being accidentally destroyed."

"The viceroy might have other major crimes we could look into," Suzaku offered. "Ones that wouldn't spark a rebellion."

"I'm sure he does," Marrybell said. "Finding them could take some time, but that approach isn't mutually exclusive with any other."

"Blackmail."

Both Suzaku and Marrybell turned to stare at Euphemia. She blushed under the attention and tapped her fingers together nervously. "Well, it's just, Clovis doesn't know that we don't have the evidence, and since we don't, _he_ couldn't steal it from _us_. Really, that we know what he was up to is bad enough for him, and I don't think he's really all that attached to the actual day-to-day ruling of the colony."

"He's not," Marrybell said, "but extortion is an inherently dangerous gambit. Beyond simply letting the victim know you know too much, making enemies you don't intend to destroy is usually an option of last resort. They have a tendency to bite you in the arse when you can least afford it." After a pause, she added, "But we could always just kill him at the end."

"No murdering our siblings," Euphemia said with a sigh. She knew Marrybell was only half-serious in the suggestion.

"I prefer 'delivering justice' to 'murder'."

Suzaku, who had his face buried in his hands by this point, said, "Why don't we spend the next month or so pursuing options that _won't_ make us the viceroy's archenemy?"

"I think that's a lovely idea," Euphemia said. She and Suzaku turned to stare at the last member of the trio, who pouted comically with her cheeks puffed out.

"You two are so naive. The only thing waiting for Clovis at the end of all this is a bullet in the brain. The only thing that'll change is who gets to do it."

Despite how she flinched away from the thought, Euphemia knew that was a likely outcome. She knew it the very moment Marrybell had told her their father had a personal stake in the matter. It would take more charisma and political capital than she, Marrybell, and Clovis collectively possessed to save him. There were possible futures where he lived, she was sure, but far too few. Maybe Lelouch or Schneizel could weave the threads of fate down one, but she doubted either had the freedom or the inclination to help someone who, in all honesty, probably didn't deserve it.

Still, Euphemia would try her best. Clovis was her brother, after all, and Marrybell had suffered the loss of too much family already.

As the staring continued, Marrybell eventually relented. "Fine, fine. I'll see what I can make happen. Other thoughts?"

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **April 6, 2016 a.t.b.**

Marrybell grunted as she tossed aside another useless document. In Area Eleven, it was easy to find hints of corruption. She had plenty of practice chasing vague rumours and tiny irregularities to ironclad truth, but there was a stark difference between unearthing _a_ criminal's misdeeds and finding evidence against a _specific_ criminal. She'd keep looking both because she was sure she'd eventually find _something_ and to satisfy Euphemia, but Clovis and the other major backers of Code R had hidden whatever else they were guilty of very well.

Well, everything of significance, that was. Marrybell had already stumbled upon weak evidence of outright bribery and other minor crimes, but nothing that would result in anything more than a slap on the wrist and the disappointed click of a tongue. That was just how Area Eleven operated.

A small part of Marrybell hoped she'd taken on an impossible task, that Clovis had nothing else important to hide. The betrayal would sting less if Code R was a one-time indiscretion. But nobody jumped from a morally upstanding guy to someone who conducted nightmarish experiments on his fellow man. There had to be _some_ bridge between the two states. Or an _extraordinary_ reason overriding normal moral judgement.

Marrybell's phone rang, and she pushed that last thought from her mind. She glanced up from the paperwork scattered across her desk she'd been scrutinising to see if it was anyone important. A second later, she answered it and turned the speakerphone on so she could keep working.

"Good evening, Marrybell."

"Evening, Lelouch. I heard about your crushing victory in Area Two. Good work."

"I try. To be fair, the real challenge is upcoming. Russia was unprepared for Portmans."

 _Portmans? Where have I heard…_ "Oh, yes. The new marine knightmare. How did those work out?"

"Very well when used properly. No one has developed countermeasures for them yet, so the battle went as well as the invasion of Japan."

Marrybell bit her lip and said nothing to that. It was a fair comparison.

"Anyway, that's not why I'm calling. Clovis called earlier today asking for my help with his little chemical weapons scandal in the making."

"He actually went to you?" Marrybell asked, hardly able to believe it. "You're in the middle of a war." She'd thought Clovis had more good sense than to draw attention to himself like that.

"Be careful of who he asks next."

"No kidding." That last thing Marrybell wanted was someone like Schneizel sticking his nose into this mess. He would gladly help, too, and then his power over Clovis would be unshakable for however long the man lasted. "I'd reconsider his request to lead the investigation, but he knows me too well. I don't think I could feign ignorance for long with him."

"You know what he was up to, then?"

Marrybell let out a weary sigh. She didn't have the emotional energy to be angry right now. "It was exactly what we expected with the worst possible victim."

"Who?"

"Oh, just a personal friend of Daddy." Marrybell chuckled. She could almost feel Lelouch cringe at the faux sweetness in her tone. "Naoto put an end to the experiments, but there's still work to be done. I don't know the full story yet."

"Kallen could probably wring it out of him," Lelouch offered.

"No, I've got the situation under control. You two just go enjoy your war. I wouldn't want to distract you."

"It wouldn't be much of an imposition. Kallen is already in the Tokyo area."

"Oh?" What could be important enough for such a large detour? "What is she up to, then?"

"She picked up some strays."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **April 6, 2016 a.t.b.**

"This is a _school_?" Erika asked incredulously. The very same question was on Marika's mind as well as she took in the view. Ashford Academy, at a glance, was probably bigger than her and her fiancé's estates put together. And it was in the middle of the Tokyo Settlement; the property values there ranked among the highest in the world!

Kallen chuckled. "I love the first reaction. Yes, this is a school. It boasts the best – if sometimes unorthodox – education in Britannia. Outside of homeschooling, of course, if you're a complete swot."

The Valkyries laughed, but Marika noticed an odd, almost rueful smile on Kallen's face.

"Anyway, I hope you four will enjoy life here. Nowhere else in Britannia will you find a more open and accepting community, so do try to make friends, and don't feel too bound to duty. If I remember correctly, everyone is required to join a club. When I next come back, I expect to see each of you in ones you actually enjoy, not just following Nunnally around. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Marika replied in chorus with her friends.

"Kallen!"

Marika turned to find an auburn haired girl Kallen's age approaching and waving at them.

"Ah, perfect timing," Kallen said. "Everyone, this is Shirley Fenette. She's a member of the student council, the benign authoritarian regime that will control every aspect of your life outside the classroom."

 _Say what now?_

"Kallen, please don't give them the wrong impression," Fenette protested. "Prez isn't nearly that bad."

"Whatever gets you through the day," Kallen said. She and Fenette shared a smile. "Anyway, I need to speak with security and the headmaster to finalise your transfer here. Once I'm done, I'll need to get back to Lelouch, so this will be goodbye for now. Someone will meet you later to show you the non-civvy stuff on campus, but in the meantime, I'll leave you in Shirley's capable hands."

After farewells were given and Marika had expressed her gratitude one last time, Kallen separated from the group and left to head deeper into campus. A large part of Marika wished to leave with her, but there were more productive things to do than fight for a cause doomed to failure at the outset.

With a small sigh, Marika turned her attention from the most amazing woman she'd ever had the good fortune to meet back to Fenette.

* * *

As she walked toward the main entrance to the Academy, Kallen intertwined her fingers above her head to crack her knuckles and stretch her arms and back. A soft moan of pleasure escaped her with every pop. The Valkyries' paperwork was finished, she'd covered their tuition, and the head of security was aware of the ostensible reason for their enrolment. She'd had time to chat with Ruben for a little while and remain ahead of schedule, and even the weather was warm.

 _What a wonderful day. Why can't everyday be like–_

Kallen froze as her day just became stranger. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the bottom half of a girl wearing an Ashford uniform sticking out of a bush. The skirt covered everything important, and the girl's feet reached the ground, so Kallen doubted she needed assistance, but still.

 _What on Earth…_ After a quick glance back at Ashford's clocktower, Kallen shrugged. _Eh, I've still got time._ This was entirely too interesting to ignore.

With silent footsteps, Kallen crept up behind the girl. Then standing on her toes, she peered over the bush. To her surprise, Nunnally was sitting in a field on the other side having a picnic with a few of her classmates.

"What are you doing?" Kallen asked.

"Taking pictures of the most adorable girl on campus," the girl replied without a hint of shame, guilt, or surprise.

Kallen pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered a curse upon the eccentricities of Ashford students. "Did you _ask_ if she's fine with that?"

"No, but she knows she has a fan club and is okay with it."

 _What does this place do to people?_ a bemused Kallen thought with a shake of her head. "I suppose I can't fault you, then. Do you have a name and torso, or am I just talking to a pair of legs?"

"Every teenage boy's dream, right?"

Despite herself, Kallen snickered as the girl withdrew from the bush. She had long black hair with a few leaves trapped in it, brown eyes, and appeared to be perhaps a year or two older than Kallen. She let her camera hang from her neck and quickly slipped into an elegant and precise curtsy that spoke of more knowledge of etiquette than Kallen had expected from her behaviour and diction.

"Good afternoon, Countess Stadtfeld. I'm Elizabeth Ward, but most people outside the academy call me Anne."

"Oh, yes." Both security and Ruben had mentioned the woman's recent arrival. "You're the OSI agent staying here undercover, correct?"

"The one and only," Anne said, twirling gracefully as she did. Kallen noticed with some amusement that the act dislodged the leaves stuck in her hair. "You need not fret, however. My assignment doesn't involve anyone at Ashford, so please don't ask."

"Of course."

Anne glanced around and fidgeted slightly. "Um… It's very nice to meet you, and I would love to chat if you have the time. I'm a big fan, actually. Both as a knight and elsewhere. But I don't suppose your prince is here, is he?"

Kallen smirked knowingly. "I'm afraid it's just me." She took no offence to Anne's dispirited, "Oh," and continued, "But I have a few spare minutes if you would like to take tea with me."

"It would be my pleasure."

With that, Kallen and Anne left together to seek out one of the cafes on campus. They chatted along the way and swapped stories about their jobs, laughing all the while. Before she even knew it, Kallen had placed her order and found a table outside to enjoy the sun on this unusually warm April day. She went for a more traditional teacake while Anne favoured the crepes.

"And the mission had already gone horribly wrong by that point," Anne said, continuing her latest tale. "I knew it was going to be one of those days when I stumbled across a bloody harem of Britannian slaves. I even recognised one of them as a missing earl's daughter. The baron had me knocked on the ground, a gun in his hand and me lying prone and groaning on my chest. Then he grabbed me by the hair – which fuck him, by the way; not cool – and yanked me up. He put the gun to the back of my head, and what does he do?"

"Bathe her and bring her to me," Kallen mumbled with a chuckle.

"He says bathe her and bring her to me!" Anne cried in exasperation. "He tossed me back to the ground, and at first all I could think was, 'Are you fucking serious?' I mean, the man _had_ to know that I was going to kill him after that, and if _any_ of his appendages got between my teeth, he wasn't going to keep them long."

"So how did you kill the bastard?" There was no doubt that Anne had without too much trauma – if any – considering that she'd opted to share the story.

"Poison on my lips."

Kallen let out a bark of laughter.

"I pursed them during the bath and played the victim. Not my favourite assassination technique, but I learnt to take the kill however I can get it _long_ before I entered into the emperor's service, and _damn_ did the shock on his face feel good."

"No doubt," Kallen said, politely sidestepping the issue of Anne's life before becoming an OSI agent. "I lament how few hilarious war stories of my own I possess. I have but one left to share, tragically."

"Lay it on me," Anne said with an eager grin.

After a moment of hesitation, Kallen returned the grin and said, "Gladly." And so she told Anne of her first duel with Suzaku. She left out names and important identifying information as Anne had, but the tale left the woman pounding the table and gasping for breath nonetheless.

"You – you dropped the – the building!" Anne struggled to get out. "And then – and then – oh, that's my girl! Bloody well done, Poppet. Absolutely brilliant!"

"I live to entertain," Kallen remarked dryly. Then remembering how Anne had described the death of the baron, she asked, "Looking back, it was such a rush. An absolute thrill. I believe in what I do, but is it really okay to enjoy it so much?"

After her laughing fit finally abated, a marginally more serious Anne replied, "We're human. It's natural to enjoy the thrill of a challenge. Or feel a little vindictive."

"I suppose so." Kallen said. It was nothing she'd not thought before, but it did ease her conscience to hear someone other than Lelouch say it as well. She took a sip of her tea.

"We all do what we must to cope," Anne said with a shrug. "We live in a horrible world."

"No argument there. Even at the top of the heap, life isn't all sunshine and rainbows."

"Not saying it's not," Anne grumbled, "but try growing up on the streets."

Kallen quirked an eyebrow without a word. She wanted to hear more after that but didn't intend to press Anne to go on if she chose not to.

"I was born in Rio," Anne said dispassionately. "Mum and Dad died when I was five, and I slipped through the cracks in the system. Took me over a decade and a lot of time indoors to prove I wasn't a Six. No one believes a thing street rats say. Learnt to pickpocket, beg, make myself unseen, fight, even kill when necessary. I lied, and cheated, and stole my way through life. Nearly got enslaved once, too."

Kallen made a mental note to pick Anne's brain for information when it came time to reform the empire. She and anyone like her _should not exist_.

"I loved to travel, though. That was the one upside. I got to see the world as I drifted from city to city. I even made it to Japan once. Lovely country. One day I picked the wrong target to lift a few quid from, but that turned out to be the best day of my life. He took me in and gave me a home. Most children like me aren't so lucky, though."

"I…" Kallen could say she sympathised and talk about Marianne, but those were secrets not her own to share. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

Anne sighed. "It's in the past. I have a real life now to do with as I please."

"And so you joined the OSI? As a field operative no less." That was a dangerous profession, to say the least.

"Hey, I get to do what I do best, I love being a secret agent, and the emperor pays me a fortune to do it. It doesn't get much better than that, now does it?"

Kallen shrugged and accepted the argument for what it was. "Is being an spy your dream job, then?"

"Hmm… It's certainly up there. What about you? Is being a royal knight all it's cracked up to be?"

"I don't think I can answer that," Kallen said. "Lelouch and I were friends for years before I gave him my oath. The only thing that's changed is I answer to him now instead of the law. My actual job, if you want to call it that, is governing New York City and overseeing Stadtfeld Industries."

Anne hummed in interest. "Why did you become a knight?"

"Lelouch and I want to make the world a better place. We have more options available to us this way."

"Uh-huh. You know, you could achieve the same ends if you just married the boy."

Kallen nearly choked on her tea before forcing it down while Anne giggled at her. She sent a glare the woman's way.

"Make the world a better place, eh?" Anne mused as her smile faded. "I want to do that myself. When I look back, I think, 'If someone had just believed me.' 'If someone had just taken the time to know what I was going through.' Everything worked out for me in the end, but I'm the exception. I got lucky."

Anne's eyes left Kallen to stare at something only she could see. Her already remarkably decent posture straightened, and the conviction of a woman with a plan and the resolve to see it through entered into her voice.

"I want more than just a patch in the system. Britannia is not the only country with problems. Starvation. Disease. Racism. Poverty. Corruption. _Betrayal_. The world is rife with it all."

"I would argue that those result from systemic failures," Kallen said. _Except for betrayal._ "But what would you see changed?"

"I dream of a world where we all understand one another. A world where we ease each other's suffering."

"And how would you create such a perfect world?" Kallen asked.

A second passed, and then two.

"I was so certain once," Anne whispered. Her eyes reflected the depth of pain Kallen expected of someone of her background, but the moment was fleeting. An easy smile slipped back onto her face soon enough. "Perhaps I'll use magic."

Unable to help herself, Kallen snorted in amusement. That wasn't the answer she'd expected at all. Holding back a smirk, she said, "I hope your interest in my handsome prince isn't so you can work your feminine magic on him."

A disgusted grimace flashed over Anne's face but was gone before Kallen could blink. "No, no. I assure you he's all yours. I'm happily married, actually. Mostly. And not looking for more."

"Really? How old are you?"

"Older than you," Anne said with a playful warning in her voice.

Kallen laughed before she fully processed the asterisk Anne had added. "Wait, 'mostly'? Want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing," Anne sighed. "My husband and I are having a bit of a tiff is all. Circumstances don't give us much time alone together, but we'll be fine once we finally get some bloody time to ourselves to talk without worrying about…others. And have mad, passionate make-up sex afterwards, of course."

"Of course," Kallen agreed with a sage nod. She chuckled as she drained her cup of the last of her tea. "I should probably get going, but I hope everything works out. It's been nice talking to you." As she stood up, she considered that it would be a waste to let talent like Anne simply walk away. She and Lelouch were always on the lookout for more allies. "Actually, what's your email?"

Anne told her, and Kallen sent out an email so that they had each other's.

"There's mine. Contact me when Lelouch and I get back from the war, and we'll talk. If you really want to make a better world, he and I are probably the right place for you."

Without hesitation, a bright smile grew on Anne's face. "Thank you, My Lady. I might very well take you up on that offer."

"Just Kallen is fine."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **April 17, 2016 a.t.b.**

Marrybell stared wide-eyed at the image on Naoto's phone in shock. The questions and mysteries kept piling up one after another. Code R had already shattered everything she thought she knew about Clovis, and now it threatened to turn Lelouch's world upside down as well. She turned to Suzaku.

"Can you go distract Soresi-san?" There were few places more secure for conversation than the tunnels beneath Ashford with a roaring waterfall in the background, and this would need it. Suzaku hesitated a moment, curiosity on his face. "I'll tell you everything later."

"Alright," Suzaku said.

"You know who that is, right?" Marrybell demanded the moment Suzaku managed to get Soresi out of the room.

"Shinozaki Sayoko, yes. But that's not–"

Marrybell cut Naoto off. "Lelouch has been looking for her for years! She's supposed to be dead!"

"I know, but–"

"How long have you known?" Marrybell pressed.

"A few weeks, but–"

"Why haven't you–"

"Marrybell-san!"

Taken aback, Marrybell closed her mouth.

"Listen," Naoto began. "Shinozaki-san make it clear that if I told anyone she was around, she would leave, and she needed my help with Code R. I asked her the obvious questions Lelouch-kun would want to know, but she refused to answer them. She only gave me two straight answers. She didn't witness Empress Marianne's death, and the empress is the one who ordered her not to say anything. Okay?"

Marrybell let out an exasperated sigh. "No. I bet you're expecting me to tell Lelouch now."

"Better your head than mine," Naoto said, the cheeky bastard.

"I disagree."

"That's not the point, though. You need to watch this security footage."

"How much do you have?"

Naoto pinched the bridge of his nose. "Marrybell-san, we can argue over how to deal with the viceroy later. This is more important."

"Fine."

Marrybell took Naoto's phone and turned her attention fully onto it. It showed a lab of some sort with three entrances. There was a strange dome with pipes and valves attached to it about two metres tall in one corner with desks and cabinets in two others. Racks of computers laid in the final corner with thick cables leading from them to a chair in the centre of the room.

Besides Shinozaki, there were roughly a dozen soldiers in the room. Just inside one entrance, a pair of bodies lay splayed on the ground. One was another soldier, and the other was a woman with long green hair in a straitjacket that covered her whole body. From the position they'd fallen in, it looked like the soldier had been carrying the woman in his arms when he'd been shot.

 _The woman must be the emperor's friend. Good to know. I assume she lives through this._

Marrybell moved to press play, but she hesitated when her eyes landed on small blur between the defenders and Shinozaki's group.

 _What is that?_ Marrybell squinted. _Is that a sword? What? Who_ throws a sword _in these cir–_ She shook her head. _Whatever._

Marrybell pressed play.

Everything happened too quickly to see or be believed. Marrybell turned the playback speed to its minimum setting and watched the video again.

"What on Earth?"

Marrybell played the video again. She tried watching the soldiers more closely, but the sequence of events was nonsensical. She watched it again, this time paying particular attention to wherever the sword went.

First, Shinozaki's group charged into the room. The man carrying the woman came first, which made no sense if they were trying to rescue her. She needed to be protected at the back. And _of course_ the man was mowed down in an instant, because there were a dozen soldiers at the other end of the room waiting to shoot him.

Immediately after that, Shinozaki rolled into the room and lobbed an unsheathed rapier toward the enemy. She took cover behind the weird dome. Meanwhile, one of the soldiers turned and fired on his allies. He killed three before he finally stopped.

 _Why?_ The question burned in Marrybell's mind, and she paused the video for a moment to think. _He already helped kill the man carrying the woman. Why turn on his comrades_ now _? And why_ stop _?_

Marrybell resumed the video. Immediately after the traitor stopped firing, another soldier grasped the sword _by the hilt_ as it flew past him. Then _he_ stabbed the man next to him. As the shock and confusion worked its way through the group at yet another betrayal, he withdrew the sword and tossed it to another soldier. As he did, he was in turn shot by someone else.

The sword came into force again, resulting in yet another betrayal. Once more, it's possessor tossed it through the air. Unlike the last two times, the intended new wielder moved to dodge, but the rest of his team had taken the hint and shot him before he could do anything.

Unfortunately for them, Shinozaki acted at that moment. She tossed a kunai straight into the throat of one of her last five remaining enemies, who fell down dead.

Marrybell paused the video as she witnessed another spontaneous betrayal from someone who had already fired at two traitors and pinched the bridge of her nose.

 _What is going on? The betrayals are sequential, and the only evidence of cooperation between the traitors is the sword._

The fight continued. Down to just three opponents, one who was nominally on her side, Shinozaki leapt into the fray herself and took down one of the two remaining probable enemies with an already bloodied dagger. She moved to take down the last remaining questionable but paused at a word from her maybe ally. A second later, she killed the soldier who'd spoken with the dagger in her hand and then shared a nod with the last remaining one.

Shinozaki retrieved the rapier while her apparent new ally picked up the green haired woman. Together, they left the room.

 _I don't even_ – "is this some kind of joke?" Marrybell asked. She had other theories, but they were all unlikely and involved a level of incompetence that would prevent Shinozaki from getting as far as she had.

"It's real," Naoto said. "Watch it again, but watch C.C.-san." To Marrybell's quirked eyebrow, he added, "The woman they're carrying."

With a nod, Marrybell did as bidden. In the initial charge into the room, she noticed that the soldiers shot C.C. as much as the man carrying her.

"I see. So the rescue was a failure. That's not going to make the emperor happy."

When Marrybell looked up from the video, Naoto shook his head at her. "She's not dead."

"Are you mad? No one survives being shot a few dozen times in the chest."

"C.C.-san was alive, walking, and talking less than ten minutes later."

"If you're going to lie to me," Marrybell said flatly, "you could at least not insult me."

"I'm not lying. I have two _living_ eyewitnesses. Einstein-san might even be able to corroborate."

Marrybell glared Naoto dead in the eye and waited for him to flinch. He didn't.

"C.C.-san obviously has a body double or an identical twin, then," Marrybell concluded. The former would not be surprising given her stated relationship with the emperor.

"That was what I believed, too. At first." Naoto retook his phone and fiddled with it. "It changed when we started decrypting the Code R research. We were only going to look at the security footage for our own purposes out of respect, but, well, curiosity is one of man's most predictable natures."

Naoto handed his phone back with another video ready to play. "Only I and my head engineer have seen this. You – you may want to do this with a bucket or toilet at the ready."

"Is this one of the experiments?"

Naoto nodded solemnly.

Having survived the invasion of Japan at its worst, Marrybell said, "I'll take my chances." Naoto sighed as she played the video. He shifted behind her and turned his eyes away. She let him do as he wished without a word.

Five minutes later, Marrybell was on her knees, retching. Naoto crouched behind her and kept her hair out of her face, gently rubbing her back. She'd long since lost the contents of her stomach, but every time her mind returned to what she'd witnessed–

Marrybell's stomach heaved again. Her eyes brunt hot with tears.

"Naomi-chan watched _hours_ of recordings before she showed me any of it," Naoto said softly. "She wouldn't come out of her bedroom for two days. It's been a week since she's voluntarily spoken to anyone other than me." He fell quiet.

"And?" Marrybell bit out. Was that supposed to make her feel better?

"That" – Naoto gestured at his broken phone lying where Marrybell had dropped it – "she said, was the tame stuff."

Marrybell roared, "How?" and shot to her feet. The surge of strength only lasted a moment before her knees buckled and her head spun. Her vision blackened, and she wobbled back to the floor. Every part of her felt sick and miserable.

"How? Naoto, did you not see what they did? How can it get worse! They cut things _no one_ can survive without. There were _wires_ sticking out of her head. There was a drain in the floor for her blood! There – there was bits of her brain on their gloves. Her voice was broken. I don't even know if it was from screaming too much or if they just cut her throat to silence her."

Another dry heave cut off Marrybell's rant, but it didn't stall her for long.

"They're going to die. I'm going to kill all of them." Marrybell couldn't care less what Euphemia wanted anymore. She couldn't care less what Suzaku would think of her. Clovis was going to die. He was going to suffer. If either of them took issue with that, they could watch the experiments and be scarred for life. "People like that aren't allowed to live."

"I agree," Naoto said, "but plans have already been made."

Marrybell whipped her head around to glare at Naoto but immediately regretted it as her body protested.

"Please just let things unfold. Let Shinozaki dispose of the trash."

"Clovis is _my_ brother," Marrybell protested. _And so much more._

"Then wait until it's safe to deal with him. If I see Shinozaki again, I'll ask her to leave him to you. Please. We can't let any of these people slip through the net. Plans get messy when multiple people are plotting."

No one could deny that. History even had a perfect example for anyone who cared to recall it: the Emblem of Blood. One wrong misstep in Area Eleven could set off an even worse catastrophe, and Marrybell knew it. She hated it, it infuriated her, she knew she'd still try to work around it, but Naoto was right.

"I'll think about it," Marrybell bit out. She refused to officially concede any more than that yet.

For a time, neither said a word. Marrybell tried to calm herself and digest just how little she'd known Clovis. It was a safer subject than the implications of C.C.'s existence. Those were too intimately tied to the experiments.

"I see trees of green–" Naoto sung.

"What are you doing?"

"–red roses too."

"What tripe…"

"I see them bloom–"

Marrybell let her forehead hit the ground. She recognised the song now. Oldrin used to sing it to her all the time along with every other tooth-rotting sugar song the girl could get her hands on.

 _Damn, I miss her._

"–for me and you."

 _Well, worst-case scenario, I dry heave again._

"And I think to myself," Marrybell sung with Naoto, "what a wonderful world."

When they made it all the way through the song, Marrybell broke down into sobbing laughter. "Your singing is terrible."

Naoto chuckled. "My apologies, Your Highness. It's been a while since I've performed karaoke."

"Heh. Same. But you've got this." She weakly fumbled at her phone and pulled up the lyrics to a less well known song. She handed them off to Naoto and launched straight into it without waiting.

"I believe the morning sun, always gonna shine again, and I believe a pot of gold, waits at every rainbow's end. Oh, I believe in roses kissed with dew. Why shouldn't I believe the same in you?"

With an infectious grin, the prat joined in the song. What a sight they must have made, a princess and a rebel singing disgustingly uplifting songs. If anyone stumbled upon them, they'd probably be dismissed as a hallucination.

"I will survive!"

Marrybell jabbed Naoto in the side with an elbow. "Not appropriate right now."

"Fine," Naoto wheezed, feigning injury.

"What were they even studying at that poor woman's expense?" Code R had published some findings in the medical field, but surely there was something less mundane than mere medicine behind the madness – beyond the as of yet unspoken obvious.

"I haven't looked into it much. We promised to let C.C. decide what we do with the research data."

That was fair.

"My best guess is cybernetics," Naoto continued. "I saw schematics and code for an artificial eye. I think there was a prototype for interfacing with the brain stem, too."

"I see… It disgusts me to say it, but I hope C.C. doesn't ask to have the research destroyed. That sounds like decades of progress squeezed into months."

Naoto agreed. "But I will abide by her decision when it comes."

A moment passed.

"If there was ever something to call mad science, this was it."

Marrybell nodded. "I suppose when your test subject _can't die_ , you can get a lot done if you throw ethics to the kerb."

And there it was, out in the open at last. Marrybell buried her head between her legs beneath her arms. She took a deep breath.

"Where the bloody hell did Clovis find an immortal woman?"

Naoto agreed with the sentiment. "I'd like to know the answer to that myself. And what happened with Shinozaki in the lab. Either she or C.C. clearly has some sort of power to bend others to her will. I spent a whole day reflecting on my decisions about the raid to make sure they were actually mine."

A bright and shining light burst into life in Marrybell's mind, but she smothered it within moments. Optimism resulted in heartbreak, and the idea it carried made little sense in context. Clovis was responsible for his own actions. _No one_ would willingly endure what C.C. had for _any_ scheme.

"I hope you realise this is information we are not meant to know," Marrybell said in a monotone.

"Obviously."

"If they can force others to obey, they can force us to answer questions. If we answer questions, everyone we tell will be a target."

"Bollocks." Clearly, Naoto hadn't stopped to consider that before sharing. "Maybe… Maybe they can erase memories, too. That wouldn't be such a bad alternative."

"Erase, sure," Marrybell said. "If they can _alter_ memories, though, that would be the single most horrifying power in existence." _They could make me a devoted daughter._ A chill crept over her, and she quickly moved on to avoid thinking about the idea. "I honestly have no idea where to go from here. I have no information, and I have no idea where to safely acquire more. Without knowing the limits of the abilities lined up against us, I may kill us or, worse, reduce us to mind slaves if I try to discover them."

"We do have a little protection."

Marrybell rolled her head to quirk an eyebrow at Naoto.

"Shinozaki likes Lelouch and Kallen, I'm sure, and they like us."

Marrybell sighed. That was almost no protection at all. If Shinozaki was working for the emperor, he'd just get someone else to do the deed if she refused. He had no qualms about trampling someone's feelings.

"I think," Marrybell began as she stood up, "I'm going to go to the party I was invited to. I'm going to have a good time. I'm going to forget about all of this until tomorrow. And then…I don't know. If I'm not dead by the time Lelouch and Kallen return, I'll assume it's safe to tell them about this. Sorry about your phone. I'll pay you back. Later."

"Uh, yeah. Later."

After Naoto had picked up his broken phone and was out the door, Marrybell turned to head for Ashford Academy. As she left through her own exit, she stopped and called back, "And you're not off the hook for Nina!"

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **April 20, 2016 a.t.b.**

Euphemia's phone vibrated. Glancing at it, she saw she had a message from Marrybell. Opening that up, it read, 'BBC News. I swear it wasn't me.'

Now more than a little worried, Euphemia hurried to the student council building and turned the television therein to the appropriate channel.

"–jumped to his death just ten minutes ago. We do not yet know why Duke Calares chose to commit suicide, but the police have promised to chase down every lead they find. If there's even a hint of foul play, the culprit _will_ be caught."

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's the end of the Code R Arc. Next chapter, we return to the second half of the Siberia Arc. After that, I anticipate two wrap up chapters to bring R1 to a close and the second .5 stage involving a wedding. Then it'll be on to R2.

For reference, the songs (in order) that Marrybell and Naoto sing are _What a Wonderful World_ , _Pollyanna (I Believe in You)_ , and (briefly) _I Will Survive_ for those of you who don't recognise them.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	18. Omake - I Knew All Along

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Omake - I Knew All Along

* * *

 _What if Kallen never introduced herself to Euphemia and Nunnally?_

* * *

 _ **Stadtfeld Residence  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **August 12, 2012 a.t.b.**_

"I don't want to go back!" Kallen protested. She clung to the front gate, but it was no use. Her brother pried her fingers off the bars and flung her over his shoulder like baggage. She squirmed and struggled, but he pressed on without hesitation. "Please, Naoto-nii. Please let me live with you. I hate it here."

"So you've told me," Naoto said. "You're starting at Ashford tomorrow. If it's really that bad, why don't you ask Dad to let you board there."

Giving escape up as a bad job, Kallen crossed her arms and adopted a sullen pout. With a huff, she said, "I have." She'd much prefer to live free with Naoto than share a bedroom with a Britannian girl her age, but anything was better than 'home'.

"Did he say no?"

"No."

"No? Then what's the problem?"

"Matilda objected. She said people would ask questions when I could easily commute."

Naoto sighed. "So will calling your mother by her name."

" _Step_ mother," Kallen corrected with every ounce of hate in her put into the word.

"Kallen…"

"I know, I know! I don't need another lecture. I know how to behave myself in public."

Naoto's hold loosened for a moment to open the manor's front door. Kallen used the opportunity to try to free herself once more, but she failed in the attempt. It seemed her brother was determined to deliver her with as little dignity left to her as possible. He ignored the onlooking maids and climbed the stairs to the first floor. There, he knocked on the door to their father's study.

"Enter!" came the muted reply.

A few seconds later, Kallen found herself transferred to her father's arms. Naoto said, "I believe this belongs to you."

"Thank you for bringing her back," Reese said. Glancing at Kallen, he added, "Again."

Kallen looked away. She could still feel her father's eyes on her, but she remained resolute. After a few seconds, the pressure abated.

Reese then asked, "Would you care to stay for supper?"

Naoto shook his head. "I should be getting home."

"I understand. Do come visit from time to time. If you don't, I suspect Kallen will continue to fabricate excuses to bring you here."

Kallen huffed and squirmed out of her father's grasp. In mute protest, she all but stomped her way to her chair by the fireplace. She knew perfectly well she wasn't going to get out of here without at least a lecture. She curled her legs up under her and rested her head on the palms of her hands, stubbornly ignoring the other two in the room.

Eventually, Naoto left. Reese stepped out for just long enough to return with tea for them both. He sat down on the chair opposite Kallen and poured her a cup in silence. The cream came next, and then two lumps of sugar found their way into the mix.

Almost automatically, Kallen reached for the cup with a muttered, "Thank you."

Without a word, Reese simply nodded and set about preparing his own cup. When he was done, he merely leaned back and enjoyed his creation.

Time passed.

Soon enough, the silence went to work. Kallen knew perfectly well how to remain quiet and ignore others. She even knew how to be insufferably polite about it; she might not particularly enjoy being aristocracy, but she certainly possessed all the necessary skills for it. But the tension in the air, the anticipation gnawing at her determination, that was a new tactic, one agonisingly effective. She would remember and learn from it.

But for now, worn down from dread and the suspense, Kallen conceded the battle. "Are you not going to lecture me?" she demanded.

Reese calmly replaced his teacup upon its saucer. He quirked an eyebrow. "I don't see the point. It hasn't worked before, and I'm well aware that you fully understand the consequences of your actions. You will make a brilliant countess someday if I ever find the right argument to bring you around to the idea."

"Bah! Good luck."

"I'm sure I'll figure something out. Who knows. Perhaps you'll fall in love with a prince."

Kallen rolled her eyes.

"Perhaps not. Regardless, are you ready for school?"

Kallen regarded her father sceptically. "Am I ready to be fed propaganda and suffer the inane prattle of spoilt, sheltered, selfish ojou-sama's?"

"You can remain homeschooled if you wish."

"No! That's what _she_ wants. Hide the half-breed. I'd rather suffer at Ashford."

Reese breathed out a long-suffering sigh. "If that's what you want," he said wearily, "then so be it."

"It is. I'll not let her win."

That said, Kallen had another reason for wanting to get out of the house. No one in the family was happy with their current arrangements. If the situation remained unchanged, someone was going to kill someone else sooner or later, and Kallen had a bad feeling the first to fall would be the softest target: her mother. She really had no idea why Minami lowered herself to working as a maid in the house, but Kallen needed to alter the status quo before the explosion came. Hopefully not being at home most of the day would be enough of a bandage.

* * *

 _ **Ashford Academy  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **August 13, 2012 a.t.b.**_

Kallen stared at the boy who'd just introduced himself to the rest of the class.

 _No fucking way!_

There were no better words to put to the sheer absurdity of situation. Kallen took in the lithe figure, the violet eyes, the black hair, everything about the boy.

 _That's Prince Lelouch. But he's supposed to be dead._

The vi Britannia siblings were probably the only royalty for whom Kallen ever had or ever would feel sympathy. She'd met their mother at a party once three years ago before the Second Pacific War and had, at the time, developed a small case of hero worship. Aside from being married to the absolute worst man in the world, the woman was absolutely brilliant. It was, in part, the utter lack of interest in her assassination and disregard for her children that had convinced Kallen that Britannia needed to burn.

 _I'm sure that's him._

Kallen unobtrusively observed the room. From the professor to her classmates, no one else appeared to recognise 'Lelouch Lamperouge' as the Eleventh Prince of the Realm.

 _Well, I'm not saying anything._

And that went double with respect to her father. If she told him, he'd just laugh and tell Kallen to befriend the handsome boy.

Kallen's train of thought derailed at that last bit.

 _Handsome? Dammit, Dad!_

* * *

 _ **Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11  
**_ _ **August 17, 2017 a.t.b.**_

"The west entrance."

Kallen momentarily froze when she heard the voice. She _could_ be mistaken. The radio in her cockpit was a piece of junk full of static.

"Use the tracks to move to the west entrance."

There was no mistake this time. That voice matched Lelouch's perfectly.

"Woman in the Glasgow, do you hear me?"

Kallen's eyes narrowed. _How does he know my gender? Someone would have had to have told him._ There was no chance he had known before today that she served as the Kōzuki Resistance's Ace devicer. _Unless… Did he enter the lorry after we crashed? Why? And if so, that means he saw me. Maybe even recognised me._

"Can anyone hear me?"

Kallen snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. There would be time to debate what to do with the prince tomorrow. For now, she picked up her radio and said, "Who is this! How do you know this code?"

* * *

 _ **Ashford Academy  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **August 18, 2017 a.t.b.**_

Today had been an exercise in patience. Kallen hated school with a passion. History this morning had been especially trying. If it were possible, she had no doubt her maths professor would find a way to make calculus prove Britannian superiority, too. Even her classmates and so called friends were obnoxious.

But perhaps the biggest crime of all was how boring it all was. She knew she was not the brightest kid on campus. From the rumours, that honour probably went to the Einstein girl. Was it too much to ask for even a mild academic challenge? She would give just about anything for it to keep her mind occupied. If she _had_ to come to Ashford, the school could at least have the common decency to require her to think.

A chorus of shrieks drew Kallen's attention from her thoughts and lunch to the girls around her.

"A bee! It's a bee!"

Kallen finally noticed the buzzing sound near her ear. Feigning lethargy as usual to maintain her sick girl act, she slowly tracked the source with her eyes as the other girls ran away. Rising with a sigh, she did the same at a more sedate pace.

"Bees in a place like this, eh? Is there a hive near here?"

Years had gone since Kallen had last seen a bee in Japan. They might still thrive in the countryside, but in the Tokyo Settlement and the surrounding ghettos, this was the first. A buzzing sound approached, and her eyes shot toward it.

 _A giant hornet?_ Kallen carefully followed the hornet's movements. _I suppose I can't blame anyone for panicking about one this big._

Kallen's eyes narrowed. The moment had come. She struck out and hit the bee with flat of her hand. It fell to the ground, dead, and she stood proud in glorious victory.

 _Another oppressor dead at my hands!_ That the bee had only been oppressing insipid teenage girls, Kallen tried not to think about. It felt good all the same.

Kallen's smirk fell off her face as she remembered where she was. She'd broken character.

"This pisses me off!" Kallen muttered. "The sickly heiress act isn't worth it." If Fenette were to be believed, no one cared when Lelouch cut class and slept through those he attended. She wanted to scream to the heavens from atop Mount Fuji at the unfairness of it all. She bit into her sandwich with a fury. _I really want to punch something right–_

Out of the corner of her eye, Kallen spotted another Ashford Academy student standing right next to her. Her hand fell away from her sandwich, which dangled awkwardly in the grip of her teeth.

A moment passed as they stared at each other.

Kallen faked a cough. "Well, well. If it isn't the prince of Ashford Academy. What can I do for you, Your Highness?"

The next moment, Kallen shook her head. She felt a little…off. She then noticed Lelouch standing in front of her. "Um… Did you want something, Lamperouge?"

"No, I got what I wanted here." Lelouch moved to leave but then stopped and turned back. "Oh, wait. Just to be sure. Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku."

Kallen blinked. _Shinjuku? Did he already –_ "er… I'm sorry, but did I space out for an entire conversation?"

"Go back to class."

In response, Kallen merely quirked an eyebrow. To this terrifying display, Lelouch turned tail and fled when presented with the flimsiest of excuses.

* * *

 _ **Ashford Academy  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **August 21, 2017 a.t.b.**_

Kallen pulled a wet lock of her hair underneath her nose.

 _Ugh. Still smells like wine even in the shower._

With a sigh, Kallen grabbed the bottle of shampoo and began a second lather.

 _Alright, Kallen, you need to figure out what you want to do about Lelouch. He clearly knows about your double life and doesn't want you to know about his. More than that, though, he knows how to command. It's safe to say he's after revenge, but is that enough to trust him with not only your life but also your friends' lives?_

Kallen hummed to herself as she mulled over the idea of asking Lelouch to join the Kōzuki Resistance. They honestly needed someone with his skill set, but he would be a hard sell to the others even _if_ she trusted him completely. His age and ethnicity worked against him even more so than her own did for her, and _no one_ listened to her – not when it came to important matters, at least.

A knock came at the bathroom door.

"It's Lelouch. I've brought you a change of clothes."

Kallen pulled the shower curtain more fully closed than it had been. "You can come in!"

The door opened, and Lelouch entered. "Sorry about those two," he said. "Shirley and Rivalz can get a little excitable at times."

That was putting it nicely, but Kallen stomped down on the urge to vent. "It's fine. I'm just glad I managed to slap the cork away before it hit my eye. Lucky."

In the brief silence that followed, Kallen got the sense that Lelouch was laughing at such a weak deflection. Chronically ill girls didn't have such perfect reflexes, nor did they unconsciously slip into defensive stances. That had been a mistake, although perhaps one she could easily explain away to the other student council members if they brought it up. Perhaps she had not been sickly as a child?

"I'll have a talk with them," Lelouch said. "To be fair, Shirley is from a shire in the homeland where the legal drinking age is eighteen. She can be very strict about such things."

"Ah. Well, maybe if you wouldn't engage in so much gambling, she'd let you get away with a few other things."

"You heard about that, eh?"

"It seems to be common knowledge on campus. From how many nobles I hear you've driven to bankruptcy, I'm surprised the OSI hasn't come to spirit you away yet."

"Er, yes, well…"

Kallen allowed herself a quiet chuckle that her shower drowned out. She probably shouldn't tease the boy so, but she'd not been able to resist.

"I mean, Nunnally's medical expenses are…expensive."

 _How eloquent._ Still, rather surprised, Kallen said, "I thought the Ashfords were looking after you two. Didn't you mention that earlier?"

Seconds passed in silence before Lelouch eventually replied. "It's complicated," he said. "I prefer being self-sufficient as much as possible."

The phone rang. _Why is there a phone in the bath – ah, Nunnally. In case she needs to call for help, I imagine._

After making his apologies, Lelouch picked up the phone. "Hello? Ashford Academy Student Council. No, this is… Oh, it's for you. He says he knows you."

Kallen quirked an eyebrow but extended a hand out past the shower curtain. "How would they even know I'm around? Does gossip spread _that fast_ here?" she mumbled.

Apparently having heard her, Lelouch said, "You'd be surprised."

Ignoring that, Kallen said, "Hello?"

"Glad you're still alive, Q1." It was the voice from Shinjuku, and just like that, the few doubts Kallen had had about Lelouch being said voice vanished. While it was _possible_ the voice had made a series of phone calls before tracking her down here in the student council building, the overwhelmingly more likely probability was much simpler.

 _So Lelouch is trying the old being in two places at once trick. He's trying to ease any suspicions I might have, obviously, but the question is why._

"16:00, the day after tomorrow," the voice continued. "The observation deck at Tokyo Tower. Come alone." The line hung up immediately after that, but Kallen kept hold of the phone and pretended otherwise to buy herself some more time to think.

 _Well, that answers that. He wants to keep his identity hidden. That's fair enough, all things considered. Now how to handle this… Is it my doctor calling? No, too boring. My stepmother? No, fuck her. Hmm… Do I flirt? No, I'll wait to enjoy that until after Lelouch_ knows _it's just an act and not me fangirling._

 _Oh, I know! The anti-flirt! Who's on the other end, then…_

An evil grin slowly crept onto Kallen's face. She _really_ shouldn't tease Lelouch like this, but the idea was just too good not to pursue.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Kallen began, "but my decision is final. I must refuse your overtures. Good day."

Peeking out from behind the shower curtain, Kallen saw Lelouch with the kind of look that just screamed he had no idea what to do with what she had just said. _Glorious._ Smiling, she poked him with the phone.

"Please hang this up for me. Angrily, yet politely, if you would, with just a hint of feeling flattered."

That snapped Lelouch out of his daze enough to function. His face said, "What on Earth does that even mean?" but he eventually capitulated as best as he could. He then asked, "What was that about?"

"Oh, one of the lesser known members of the imperial family has taken an interest in me. A good match, I'm sure, but I have enough problems with my health as is without being pregnant as well. I can't even recall how many immediate members of the imperial family there are, you know."

"Far too many," Kallen heard Lelouch grumble under his breath.

"Honestly, I've told that boy so many times I'm not interested. He just won't take no for an answer. I might as well get into an old knightmare held together by duct tape and dreams and try to take on the entire Britannian army. I'd have a better chance of survival in battle than in labour."

Kallen heaved a dramatic sigh. "If you wouldn't mind, though, I'd like to get back to my shower. Thank you for bringing me a change of clothes."

"Ah, yes. Sure. Yes. Sorry about that. I'll wait for you outside to show you around after."

Once Lelouch was good and gone and the door had closed in the wake of his hasty retreat, Kallen broke down into snickers until she eventually succumbed to a full blown chortle. That had been _entirely_ too much fun. She had a feeling that teasing the poor boy was going to become a bad habit of hers. She would make it up to him, though, by keeping his secrets safe – even from him. That was a fair trade, she thought.

* * *

 _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **August 23, 2017 a.t.b.**_

Dressed as Zero, Lelouch watched in satisfaction as his fledgling band of revolutionaries departed from the train. Oh, he expected no more than one or two to show up for his plan to save Suzaku, but in the worst case, he would just use his geass to requisition the aid of a few Britannian soldiers instead.

 _Come to think of it, they might be even more impressed if I succeed without their involvement. Hmm… Perhaps I should have simply told them to stand back and watch as I saved Suzaku on my own._ After a second to ponder the matter further, Lelouch shrugged to himself. _Something to think about in the future._

"Might I have a word?"

Lelouch turned his attention to the number one reason he was going through all this effort. Kallen Stadtfeld – or Kōzuki, as she preferred – had _potential_. She had managed to score a blow, if only a glancing one, on that overpowered white knightmare from Shinjuku. Moreover, she did it in a hunk of junk _and_ escaped uninjured afterwards. She was easily Knight of the Round material, and he thanked his lucky stars that she loathed the entire Britannian system as much as he did.

 _Not to mention her intelligence,_ Lelouch idly commented. He'd looked up her transcript when performing his initial background check, and it proved impeccable despite her chosen lifestyle involving almost zero studying. _Yes, we'll make something great of you yet, Q1. We just need to find the right motivation to turn you into a proper queen._

Of course, beyond Kallen herself, the rest of her comrades responded well to orders and were demonstrably competent devicers. With the right training and access to a few knightmare simulators, they could go far under proper leadership.

"I suppose," Lelouch finally said to Kallen. _I hope she's not about to waste my time prattling on about nothing._

After a moment in which she scanned the carriage, presumably to ensure no one was around, Kallen stated in no unclear terms, "You're Britannian."

Lelouch froze. Did she know? Had he not thrown her off his trail? A second passed as he composed himself. "What makes you think that?"

"The phone call you made to me," Kallen said, switching away from Japanese. "You speak English far too well. It's possible you're Japanese, maybe European, but it's far more likely you're not. Then considering that you were an unknown factor in Shinjuku and we knew of everyone who lived in the ghetto…"

Lelouch silently cursed himself for overlooking those little details. On the other hand, his soon-to-be Ace was _observant_. However much more difficult that made his own life, that was good for his plans long term. Perhaps he could even use her skills outside of a knightmare sooner than expected.

Still speaking in Japanese, Lelouch said, "I see. A reasonable guess, no doubt. If I were, would that be a problem?"

Continuing in English, Kallen said, "Let me rephrase that. Your diction is the same as mine, My Lord."

"Ah." That was a tell not easily hidden. Given that no one else was around to overhear them, Lelouch conceded this minor defeat and switched to English himself. "And what do you intend to do with this information?"

It did seem strange that Kallen had decided to confront him with it rather than tell her friends instead. _Or maybe she has and was the one chosen to sound me out on the matter._

"Nothing," Kallen said, much to Lelouch's surprise. "I just wanted to warn you to be careful for now. As you said, our enemy is Britannia itself, not Britannians. I'm not so conceited as to believe that I'm unique, but some people do, and many more assume I'm not in the worst way possible even though I'm a little young to be an obvious spy."

"Hmph. Whatever its faults, Britannia wouldn't waste time trying to insert a very Britannian half-blood such as yourself into the ghettos. They have no need of such complex deceptions." _Interesting, though. Does she believe I'm a half-blood? Well, best not correct her, if so._

"I know, right? You wouldn't believe how many years it took to earn a measure of half-trust even with dozens of people vouching for me," Kallen grumbled. "I don't think anyone not Britannian will notice, but be careful nonetheless. I'll do my best to misdirect anyone who gets curious."

"Your efforts are appreciated, and it's good you understand. While our movement will naturally be most attractive to the Japanese, there are many disenfranchised and disillusioned Britannians as well. They, too, will wish to fight for justice and a better future, and only a great fool makes an enemy of their allies."

Although he already knew from having used his geass on Kallen, Lelouch decided to gain the knowledge legitimately while he waited for the train to arrive at its next stop. "If I might ask, why does the future Countess of New York consort with terrorists? Despite the impossibility of effecting lasting, positive change, you could do far more good from within the system."

Surprise showed on Kallen's face, apparently not having expected him to ask. She pursed her lips. After a few seconds of thought, she finally answered. "It's… Being a half-blooded Britannian is complicated no matter where I live, but life is less painful away from what passes for home. To make a long story short, Britannia tore my family apart. Mum is pathetic. Dad is miserable whenever he comes home, so he's all but abandoned us to the bitch who calls herself my stepmother. I also _had_ an older brother. He should have been the Stadtfeld heir, but unlike me, he got most of his looks from our mother."

After sighing, Kallen continued, "Not that he'd have done anything differently if he were the heir. He wanted a peaceful world, but Britannia is…well, you know."

Lelouch nodded. He knew _exactly_ what Britannia was like.

"He decided that if he couldn't change Britannia, he could at least try to make life better in his other homeland. Not that that worked out." Feeling her anger rising, Kallen breathed deeply to calm the growing signs of a tirade. "Nevermind. Thank you for saving what you could of Shinjuku, by the way. I don't know if anyone bothered to say that yet."

"You're the first." Lelouch paused a moment there to consider how he wanted to proceed. On the one hand, he could play the hero of justice shtick straight and create a stronger image for Zero. On the other hand, however, he could open up a little to start cultivating personal loyalty from an essential piece on the board.

With his decision made, Lelouch said, "And you're welcome. However, to be perfectly honest, my presence there was entirely a coincidence. I'd not intended to start my crusade against Britannia yet, but opportunities arose, such as they were, and fortune favours the bold. Still, it's nice to be appreciated." _It's not like Milly ever says thank you for all the work I do for her._

"You're welcome," Kallen said with a rather cheeky grin. "Just don't get us all killed, and I'll be sure to remember to say thank you after every mission."

Lelouch snorted, chuckling. "I'll be sure to hold you to that. Recall that you're currently the only Britannian female we have available."

It took a few seconds before Kallen understood the implication. Her demeanour warped in an instant. "I'll kill you!"

"Area Eleven is _awfully_ corrupt and unprofessional. Lips are very loose with the right…assets."

"I swear I will beat you to death with my bare hands!"

"You would make a smashing bunny girl."

"Not even in your dreams, you dead man!"

Having had his fun, Lelouch said, "I suppose I do have other ways of gathering information. Though the cause shall suffer for it, it seems I must avail myself of them instead."

"Git," Lelouch heard Kallen grumble. As the train slowed to a halt, she said, "Whatever. This is my stop, I guess. I'll see you at the meeting point tomorrow. I'm sure Ohgi will come. I don't know about the others, though."

"That's fine," Lelouch said. As she slipped away out the door, he added, "Two will suffice."

* * *

 _ **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
**_ _ **Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11  
**_ _ **August 25, 2017 a.t.b.**_

Conversation was happening around Kallen, but she only caught every other word. Her adrenaline high from escaping with Kururugi Suzaku alive and uninjured had yet to fade, and she chose to revel in it. Lelouch had taken Kururugi off alone to the other room to – presumably – recruit him, and that was none of her business. If she remembered her history correctly, they were old friends.

"Karen-chan, what do you think?"

Kallen could still remember standing right in front of a half-dozen Sutherlands unarmed with all of their weapons trained on her. Her legs had trembled and threatened to give out on her, but she'd managed to press on. Somehow, she'd managed to act cool and composed from the beginning of their escape to the end. And Lelouch's own poise and confidence–

"Kallen!"

"Huh?" Looking around, everyone had their eyes on her. "What is it?"

Ohgi sighed. "I asked you what your impression of Zero is. You spoke to him before after the rest of us left, and you were in the thick of it both today and in Shinjuku."

Thinking back on everything, Kallen said, "He's a brilliant commander, probably on par with Britannia's finest, and he has the kind of charisma necessary for both a revolutionary and a statesman. In every way, he'd be our answer to Schneizel or Cornelia if Britannia started taking us seriously."

That drew more than a few widened eyes from the group.

"Zero was right," Kallen added. "We're whiny children. Today's operation – how many people would we have lost trying it ourselves? How many innocent civilians would've gotten caught up in it?"

"A lot," Ohgi begrudgingly admitted.

"Zero came up with this plan in a matter of hours, I imagine, and executed it perfectly. Not to mention that in Shinjuku we took no losses after he took control until that white knightmare appeared. _And_ Zero demonstrated he knows when force is needed and when other measures should be pursued. I don't doubt he could have gotten us proper knightmares for today if we'd actually needed them."

 _I swear, Lelouch, someday you're going to pay me back for this. I sound like a bloody fangirl._ After a moment, Kallen added, _Even if it's all true._

With a solemn nod, Ohgi turned his attention back to the rest of the group. "Well, we've heard everyone's opinion, then. Let's put it to a vote. Raise your hand if you agree to elect Zero as our new leader."

Kallen put her hand up together with Ohgi, and one hand after another slowly joined them. Lastly, everyone looked to Tamaki.

"Oh, alright, dammit!" Tamaki said. He put his hand up.

* * *

 _ **Ashford Academy  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **August 28, 2017 a.t.b.**_

"Lelouch," Kallen said. She stood just in front of the boy in question outside in the very heart of Ashford Academy's campus. He was busy at work on his laptop but looked up after a second. "May I have a moment?"

"Sure," Lelouch said as he set his laptop aside. "What do you need?"

While not something she actually needed to do, Kallen knew Lelouch would expect the ignorant Kōzuki Karen to ask after the phone call he had 'overheard' if she could come up with a decent excuse. Kallen mentally sighed to herself. Keeping in character with two layers to the act was hard. Sometimes she thought about just telling him that she knew everything. Life would be so much simpler if she did but also so much less enjoyable.

For the moment, Kallen pushed that option aside. Instead, she began, "About that phone call the other day."

"Phone call?" Kallen had to admit, Lelouch was good actor – possible better than she was an actress. She almost believed that he'd forgotten. "Oh, in the bathroom. What about it?"

"Do you know what the number was?"

"No. I don't believe the academy keeps a log, either. Why? Did you decide you want to be a princess after all?"

Kallen turned aside with a huff, rolling her eyes. It was a bit out of character but perfectly acceptable, she thought, if Kallen Stadtfeld were to let her walls down and be friends with Lelouch. "Hardly," she said. "Whenever I get a call from _him_ , I can never catch the number."

"Ah. You want to block him?"

"No," Kallen said. "He'd just get a new number. I want to release it to the public and let him deal with the resulting spam. And I'd do it over and over again until he got the message."

"Vicious." Lelouch had an appreciative smirk on his face as he said the word. "I'm sorry to say I can't help–"

Following the glare Lelouch had suddenly directed behind Kallen, she turned to glance the same way. She noticed a girl with lime green hair in what appeared to be the same clothes she herself had borrowed not too long ago. She only had a split second to observe, however, as Lelouch jumped up from his seat to grasp her face with both hands and turned her back toward him.

They stood there as still as statues as the seconds ticked by. Lelouch's eyes, Kallen noticed, tracked something behind her until whatever it was – probably that green haired girl, she supposed – had left. Even knowing that this was not what it looked like, however, a blush erupted on her face.

"Oi," Kallen eventually said when she found her voice again. It got Lelouch's attention back onto her. "I know I'm beautiful, but please try to restrain yourself. Such fits of passion are unbecoming of a man."

Lelouch's mouth opened. A moment passed. Then he finally said, "I apologise…"

 _This is super awkward._ Now that Lelouch's grip on her face had loosened, Kallen took a step back. "What were you working on?" _Not exactly the most graceful way to change the topic, but better than fleeing, if only marginally._

"Just reading the news." Lelouch plopped back down on the bench behind him and opened his laptop. Kallen moved forward beside him to get a look.

"That Zero character?" Kallen said. "I didn't take you for the type to be interested in him."

"Oh, he's completely mad. Absolutely barmy," Lelouch said. "And he makes for one hell of a news story."

As she sat down beside Lelouch, Kallen said, "Well, that's certainly true. He had some redhead with him, too. I nearly had a heart attack imagining myself in her place. I still can't believe Margrave Gottwald didn't just have them both shot before they could confront him."

Lelouch grunted in disapproval. "The good margrave obviously likes to hear himself talk too much. He wanted to make a show of the entire debacle, and Zero took advantage of that."

Although unlikely to get anything out of him, Kallen asked, "Hey, Lelouch? What do you suppose that 'orange' thing was?"

After a brief pause to ruminate over the question, Lelouch said, "I've heard rumours that Prince Clovis was involved in human experimentation."

Kallen let out a real gasp. "That's quite a skeleton in his cupboard." _I didn't imagine that fop would stoop so low._

"Yes, well, that's assuming the margrave cared about his prince's memory," Lelouch said. "More likely than not, he just took a bribe."

"No, that can't be," Kallen said. Lelouch turned to look at her, his eyes holding actual interest in the conversation now. "If Zero really is the one who shot Prince Clovis, then the purists must have arrested Kururugi while still investigating to push their own agenda, right? What sum would be worth the loss of momentum?

"On the other hand, if Margrave Gottwald were a traitor acting on Zero's order, he'd be more useful to Zero in charge with an unblemished record. There's no way Zero or the margrave wouldn't have expected the man's reputation to be in shambles after how he acted. They would have put a fall guy in his place. There had to be something more to it than betrayal or money."

"You have the right of it," Lelouch said, clearly impressed. "I don't imagine there's much we can divine from staring at the news, however, no doubt censored as it is. I'd like to believe in the competence of our government and say the initial arrest of Kururugi was a trap to identify and perhaps even draw out the real murderer, but regardless, you're correct. Margrave Gottwald's actions make no sense with the information we have. In the end, they were probably trying to execute an innocent man just to push legislation through. However loyal to the crown the purists are, corruption remains."

 _Now that's not news,_ Kallen said to herself. She weakly offered, "It's not so bad in the homeland," in defence of a position she held no interest in professing. It possessed the benefit of actually being true.

Lelouch just snorted dismissively and let the time flow past them.

Sometime later, Kallen idly remarked, "It's unfortunate what Britannia has become since we left Europe. I confess to a certain admiration of our culture from before the Humiliation and its remnants."

"Oh?"

Kallen nodded. "When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a knight."

"A knight? You?" Lelouch was understandably sceptical of both her personas.

"Hey, I was a child. I thought they were cool. Fighting for justice. Protecting the innocent. Swearing vows of undying loyalty to a worthy liege. Swords! And then when I was ten, my every dream was validated when suddenly the knight's weapon of choice became giant robots. I grew up on stories of noble warriors and anime."

From the corner of her eye, Kallen noticed Lelouch quirk an eyebrow at her with a smile poking at the ends of his lips.

"What?" Kallen said defensively. "Believe it or not, I used to be rather boyish."

Lelouch did not lower that eyebrow of his. Kallen took it to mean, "What happened?"

"I fell ill. I'm still an excellent devicer, you know. I played with knightmare simulators while other girls would have tea parties. I'm still a decent fencer, too, even if I tire too quickly to be competitive."

"You fence?" It seemed that little fact genuinely took Lelouch by surprise.

Kallen waved her hand back and forth. "I'm alright. Not great." _And now for the best part._ "I wanted to be just like Empress Marianne when I first started."

Peeking out of the corner of her eye, Kallen saw Lelouch's expression grow tight before relaxing back into an uneasy and so very fake smile. She kept her own smirk to herself. It should probably be illegal to have so much fun at his expense. In fact, as he was a prince, it probably was; that made it all the more enjoyable.

"She was my favourite Knight of the Round. Bold, brilliant, unbeatable, and female and beautiful, of course. And she came from nowhere! Anyone could be her. Then she died, and no one cared. It's hard not to see everything wrong with this country after your idol is assassinated and forgotten at the drop of a hat."

Lelouch said nothing, but Kallen noticed his hands curling into fists tight enough to turn his knuckles white.

"Then the army killed my brother. He was in the ghetto when they caught him. They dragged him in for 'questioning'. He was just trying to help, but of course no one listens to the half-breed. Officially, he committed suicide while imprisoned. We never even got his body back."

A hand fell on Kallen's shoulder, and she felt her rising temper cool. She turned to give Lelouch a grateful smile and tried to relax back into her seat. She'd not meant to share that much. She was supposed to be having fun at Lelouch's expense, not confessing her life story, but there it was.

"Britannia sucks." _Elegant, Kallen. Really elegant. You could rival Lelouch's speeches with that masterpiece._

"Maybe you should reconsider becoming a princess," Lelouch said. "Make your way up to empress and then off your husband. Take over as regent for your firstborn, and who knows."

Kallen let out a bark of laughter at the jest. The thought was certainly amusing. "Empress Kallen does have a nice ring to it. I think not, though. Too unlikely to work, and I don't believe I have the patience to tolerate a prince for that long."

* * *

 _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **September 12, 2017 a.t.b.**_

"In some ways, Area Eleven is better off now than the old Japan ever was. Being made a colony of the empire has stabilised its military and economic position in the world."

There was some truth to those words. Japan had not played the wisest of games with its sakuradite before the Second Pacific War, and it had remained staunchly independent in a world of superpowers. Still, it made the already sour taste of Kallen's free California hot dog even worse.

"Elevens can even obtain full citizenship through the legal process," Lelouch continued. "It's easy to become an honorary Britannian. Just a question of pride, really. Though I can certainly understand why they'd resist."

 _Not that it does much good to move from less than dirt to a second-class citizen._ Kallen swallowed. "And?"

Lelouch hummed in question.

"Knowing all that," Kallen said, "what does Lelouch Lamperouge think about it all? What do you want to do?"

"Nothing."

 _Sounds about right._ Kallen was awfully tempted to bait Lelouch into saying something she could hold over him later. Still, this was an opportunity to get a real answer out of him for once as well as a few laughs. "You don't bother to hide how brilliant you are, you know. It's all Shirley talks about. Why let all your potential go to waste?"

Lelouch shrugged. "That Eleven we saw back there could tell you. He could lead a better life as long as he bows his head to Britannia."

"And yet you're a gambler. Shirley complains about that, too."

A smirk crept onto Lelouch's face. "Kallen, the wagers I take are no gamble."

"Such arrogance."

"I prefer to call it self-confidence."

"Uh-huh." Kallen took another bite of her all but stolen snack. "You should join the Black Knights."

"What?" The shock was plain in Lelouch's voice, and Kallen had to force a giggle down when she glanced at his face. The mask had not just cracked but shattered.

"Join the Black Knights. We could use more highly intelligent members with their wits about them."

"I'll…consider it," Lelouch said weakly. It was actually rather adorable just how unprepared he looked for the direction this conversation had taken. "Should you be telling me you're a Black Knight?"

Kallen shrugged. "You're not going to turn me in."

"You sound very confident in that."

"I am."

"Is this a test of some sort? Do the Black Knights jump out of the bushes if I do or the OSI if I don't?"

Kallen chuckled. "Quite the conundrum, isn't it?"

A moment passed before Lelouch said, "I have been a little suspicious of you. I don't know what business an OSI agent would have at Ashford, though."

That deserved the scoff Kallen gave it. "Please. If you ever suspected for even a moment that I was an OSI agent, I'd be long dead. If you're going to lie to me, at least do a better job of it, Your Highness."

Lelouch shot to his feet in either sheer terror or outright panic.

"Oh, sit down," Kallen said, unconcerned. "You're making a scene. I have no intention of outing a fellow victim."

"How did you find out?" Lelouch demanded.

Rather flatly, Kallen replied, "I'm not a commoner, Lelouch, nor minor nobility. I know of everyone important in Britannia. I've even met your mother. Did you not realise that, or did you honestly believe I wouldn't make the connection? You and Nunnally even kept your names. Seriously, you could at least dye your hair or something."

"I see…" were the only words Lelouch said for the longest time. Although he still appeared uneasy and reluctant, he did sit down.

"To be honest, your eyes were what first made me pay attention. You might not realise given your childhood, but violet eyes are actually very rare."

"You're the first to notice. I haven't exactly hidden from the nobility with my chess matches."

"Well, I would hesitate to call you lucky, but…"

Lelouch grunted unhappily. "I'll have to buy coloured contacts."

"It wouldn't hurt," Kallen said.

"How long have you known?"

"Since you first introduced yourself to me."

Lelouch's brow narrowed. "Back then? I'd thought you were referring to my reputation at Ashford with that snark of yours."

"Hmm? Oh, I was. And you're a little off. We were in the same class in year eight, if you'll recall."

"You've known for that long?" Lelouch asked in shock. "Who have you told?"

"No one. As I said before, I have no intention of outing a fellow victim. But now I'll ask again, and this time I'll ask the right person. Knowing the state of his empire, what does Lelouch vi Britannia want to do?"

"Protect my sister," was Lelouch's immediate response. He levelled a glare at Kallen, although not one _too_ threatening. "Whatever it takes."

Kallen smiled just a little as memories flooded her. "My older brother was just like you." She chuckled, albeit somewhat weakly. "If I suffered so much as a paper cut, the world was ending…"

* * *

 _ **Black Knight HQ  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **September 12, 2017 a.t.b.**_

Lelouch, as Zero, tapped his fingers along his desk in contemplation. Kallen was more knowledgeable and intelligent than he'd given her credit. In hindsight, he probably should have realised that. She'd constantly surprised him over the short time he'd known her. Now she was a liability – a frustratingly indispensable and likable liability he'd already used his geass on. Her skills as a knightmare pilot were nothing short of game breaking, and her company was actually pleasant when she shed the Stadtfeld and Kōzuki masks to just be herself.

An idea occurred. Lelouch went to find Tamaki. He would do well as a stooge.

* * *

"Hey, Karen-san!" Tamaki called out.

Kallen broke off her conversation with Ohgi and Zero about tonight's refrain raid. "What?"

"You're a blue blood, right?"

"I suppose," Kallen hesitantly replied.

"Have you heard anything about tonight's raid?"

"My Dad is an earl," Kallen said, anger simmering just beneath the surface. As dysfunctional as her family was, she loved them all the same. "He's not a knight, and he's _certainly not_ a drug dealer. Why on Earth would you think I'd know anything?"

Tamaki shrugged. "It's not like it hurts to ask. You never know."

"As shocked as I am to say it," Ohgi said, "Tamaki-san has a fair point." He turned his gaze suggestively onto Kallen. "We've been ignoring a valuable source of information."

Zero spoke next before Kallen could nix that idea. "I agree. I have my own contacts within the government, but Karen-san could provide a unique glimpse into Britannian politics. She and I have discussed this before."

Kallen sent a death glare at Zero, but he continued on unaffected.

"Can you think of any actionable intelligence you might possess? About tonight's raid or anything else. Perhaps knowledge of persons of interest?"

 _Oh, so that's what this is really about. I wonder how he got Tamaki to play along._ Kallen lowered her voice to a whisper. She would turn this test right back around onto Lelouch. "I do happen to know a prince."

"Oh?" The strain in Zero's voice was well hidden but audible to those anticipating it.

Folding her arms, Kallen nodded. "Indeed."

"Which one?" Zero pressed.

"The prince of Ashford Academy, a man whose irresistible allure is said to send women into the throes of passion with his mere glance."

Tamaki rolled his eyes as the mood broke. "Man, I thought you were serious."

"I am completely serious," Kallen said, drawing herself up to her full height. "Prez would throw me off the student council if I referred to him as anything less. I cannot let that happen. I would lose so many privileges that make my life easier."

"Perhaps we should move on," Ohgi suggested.

"Is there nothing else you can think of?" Zero pressed.

"Unless you want to hear the latest gossip my stepmother won't shut up about, then I'm afraid not. Sorry. I'll keep an ear out, though. Maybe even attend a few parties."

"Very well, then," Zero said. "We'll have to discuss this more in depth later on, and you'll need to find an appropriate and trustworthy escort."

Kallen offered Zero a wide, innocent smile as she said, "Oh, I know just the one."

"Er, right. Good. Yes, good." Zero faked a cough. "Now as we were discussing before Tamaki interrupted…"

* * *

 _ **Kaminejima, Area 11  
**_ _ **September 17, 2017 a.t.b.**_

Under the roaring falls, Kallen whispered her gratitude for the warm weather. Being stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere was troubling, to say the least, but she had running water of sorts for a shower. That was something. Now if only she had some soap. She still felt filthy from the accumulated sweat and grime of the past day.

Across the small pool between the waterfall and land, Kallen noticed a figure appear from the tree line. Of all people, it was Suzaku.

 _Oh you have to be fucking kidding me._

Thinking quickly, Kallen considered her situation. Lelouch would be furious if she killed one of his oldest friends. Counting on Suzaku not to recognise her was far more optimism than she could stomach. She wanted to continue attending Ashford if she could; she actually had friends at school now.

 _Right. Time to bullshit out my arse._

"Suzaku," Kallen called out over the roar of the waterfall, "if you don't turn around this instant, I will kill you!"

The boy who had frozen staring at a fully naked woman immediately apologised and spun in place to face the forest. Sighing, Kallen climbed atop a nearby rock and set about drying herself off as best as she could. She wrung her hair, used her jacket as a substitute towel, and then slipped into as few layers of clothes as was decent. She then hopped from rock to rock back to land to stand behind Suzaku. After a gentle tap on his shoulders, he turned around with a blush lingering on his face.

"I'm not going to slap you this time," Kallen said with a warning tone underlying her voice, "but in the exceedingly unlikely chance I'm starkers in front of you again and you stare, be prepared to suffer."

Suzaku gulped. "Right. Sorry. I didn't mean…" He finally noticed the black jacket she had draped over her shoulder. "That's the Black Knight's uniform!"

"Thank you, Sir Obvious. I never would have guessed. Now let's head out. I need to get you back to your princess before you do something stupid again. Honestly! I can't believe you were willing to die in the bombardment. It's good you got your chain of command straight in the end. You're a knight of honour. Your princess's word is law." Kallen continued muttering about foolish men as she sauntered off down the forest trail she and Suzaku had taken up here.

A very befuddled Suzaku said, "What? I… You were there…and are a Black Knight? What? Just…what?"

 _No hesitation, Kallen. Keep him off balance and trample over his objections. Lie like Lelouch._

Kallen took a deep breath and then glanced back over her shoulder. She quirked an eyebrow and said, "You can't honestly expect me to believe Euphemia of all people ordered you to sit there and die. She's as harmless as a puppy. Besides, the Black Knights were in a no-win situation. You had Zero captured and reinforcements were coming. Whoever ordered that air strike really bollocksed everything up in a way utterly uncharacteristic of her. Urgh! Dammit! I could be back at Ashford by now, but no, of course not."

"What are you talking about?" By now Suzaku had caught up with Kallen and grasped her arm by the wrist. She glared at him, but he did not release her. Underneath the confusion, his eyes returned her glare with accusation.

"Let go," Kallen stonily demanded.

"I cannot let a terrorist escape."

"I'm an OSI agent, you fool." Kallen snapped her arm free while Suzaku stood flummoxed.

After a few failures at forming words, Suzaku eventually managed, "The OSI? But you're…"

"Sickly? Young?" Kallen scoffed. "I'm clearly not ill, and that bastard we call our emperor doesn't give a damn about age. Not that I can really complain. I like my primary assignment."

Suzaku narrowed his eyes. "And that's the Black Knights?"

"No. I operate solely at the emperor's discretion, and he's grown concerned with Zero. My primary task is to look after Lelouch."

"The emperor knows he's alive?" Suzaku asked, proving he would never make it as a secret agent. A more appropriate question to fish for information would have been to ask why Lelouch was important.

"Yes," Kallen easily lied. "For years now. I used to protect him from a distance, but then Milly dragged me onto the student council, and I haven't looked back. Lelouch is the single most intriguing person I've ever met."

Kallen placed herself right in front of Suzaku. He was taller, but she could feel his unease with the closeness nonetheless. "Speaking of," she sternly began, "in case you're both blind and deaf, Lelouch isn't exactly happy with father dearest, so he's not to know the emperor possesses the tiniest sliver of decency necessary to see to his son's wellbeing. No one is. You _will not_ blow my cover and ruin my friendship with Lelouch." She would have added a threat, but from the look on Suzaku's face, the message had already gotten across perfectly well.

"I understand."

"Good." And then Kallen had a wonderfully terrible idea. She kept the smile off her face, but the thought of how much chaos she might unleash within the colonial government delighted her. "By the way, I'm not positive, but I don't believe the emperor has shared this with anyone, so you didn't hear this from me. Zero is a member of the aristocracy."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Or at least he once was or was so raised. I'm not sure which. Do with this information as you will so long as my name stays out of it."

* * *

 _ **Black Knight HQ  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **September 18, 2017 a.t.b.**_

 _Bah! What a mess this has become. Euphemia knows I'm Zero. Kallen knows I'm royalty. Suzaku knows Kallen is a Black Knight. What next? Will Nunnally discover my geass?_

A knock came at the door to Lelouch's office. He put his mask back on and called out, "Enter!" A familiar redhead walked in through the door a moment later. "Good evening, Kallen. What do you need?"

"Um… I may have convinced Suzaku that I'm a personal servant of the emperor attached to the OSI and assigned to infiltrate the Black Knights. And I may have shared some misleading but technically true information to sell the story."

Lelouch blinked.

"Can you help me obtain the necessary documentation to maintain the ruse?"

Lelouch brought up his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose only to then recall the mask over his head. He was almost tempted to remove it just to complete the action.

"Kururugi bought that?"

"It's possible he more didn't want to disbelieve than actually believed," Kallen said with a shrug. "If I don't act nervous or dither in proving my claim, I don't think he'll investigate further."

 _No, he won't. He probably wouldn't want to sell out a friend regardless._ Lelouch sighed. "Very well. I'll have what you need before you return to Ashford tomorrow. What did you tell Kururugi?"

"That you're Britannian aristocracy. I _know_ they won't be able to uncover your identity with that information since I couldn't, so I didn't think it would hurt."

"Oh?" Kallen was right, of course, but Lelouch could not let that go so easily lest she later truly give out dangerous information. "Do you think so highly of your investigative skills?"

"A little," Kallen said with a grin, "as well as my piles and piles of dosh. It took several more clues for me to figure out who's under that mask of yours, none of which anyone else will have access to."

Lelouch paused for a moment to ruminate on all of his recent interactions with Kallen without the mask. Did she know? But after a few seconds of reflection, he knew she did not. Her behaviour at Ashford simply didn't fit – not unless she was purposefully making her life as difficult as possible for some reason infinitely beyond the male gender's understanding.

So reassured, Lelouch said, "Did you not tell me you had no need to see my face?"

"I did, and I still don't. Sometimes a girl just gets curious. I stumbled upon a clue, and one thing led to another. But who knows? I could be wrong. It doesn't really matter, anyway. Your private life is just that: private."

"Hmph. I thank you for the courtesy. I trust you don't mind if I leave you in suspense as to the validity of your guess."

Kallen returned that with a mischievous grin. "I trust you don't mind if I leave you in suspense as to if my guess is right."

 _I highly doubt it is._ If only the mask were not in the way, Lelouch could return Kallen's grin with a smug smirk. Such a tragic quandary he found himself in.

* * *

 _ **Ashford Academy  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **September 22, 2017 a.t.b.**_

"Lelouch."

Startled and with his nerves already frayed from Mao's mind games, Lelouch dropped the photo of his sister held hostage in his hand. Suzaku finished climbing the stairs before he could retrieve it and saw the image.

"That's – so something _did_ happen to Nunnally."

"Yes," Lelouch hesitantly admitted. There was no putting off someone as stubborn as Suzaku. He could only hope Mao didn't execute his sister in retaliation. Technically, the only stipulation the madman had put on his actions was not to call the police, so Nunnally should be fine for now. He also doubted Mao would want to spoil the fun just because Suzaku inserted himself into the situation. And so, reluctantly, Lelouch explained what had happened.

Suzaku frowned and pursed his lips in thought. After a moment he said, "Wait here. I know someone who will help."

* * *

Kallen was minding her own business playing with Arthur when Suzaku stormed into the room. Without so much as a by your leave, he pulled her to her feet and dragged her out into the hallway.

"Suzaku, where are you taking me?"

"To Lelouch. Nunnally has been abducted–"

"What!"

"–and he needs our help."

Before she could demand more information, Suzaku deposited Kallen in front of Lelouch halfway up a flight of stairs. She could see the unease working through Lelouch's face as well as the impatience to deal with what both he and she knew was about to happen.

"Lelouch," Suzaku began, "Kallen is an OSI agent watching over you."

Both of the boys ignored Kallen's, "Suzaku!" She could see the anger emerge on Lelouch's expression at the additional complexity added to both their friendship and whatever the situation was.

With a fiery – if feigned – glare levelled at Kallen, Lelouch said, "We don't have time for me to threaten or interrogate you. If you're an OSI agent, then how was Nunnally abducted on your watch?"

Restraining the urge to deck Suzaku over this, Kallen searched her mind for whatever lie would get this over with as quickly as possible. "I'm only responsible for _your_ safety. Besides, I thought you had a shinobi looking after her. What happened to Sayoko?"

"She serves as our maid, too. Mao probably waited for her to go to the grocer's or something."

"Who?"

And so Lelouch explained the situation to Kallen.

* * *

After waiting for ten minutes as Lelouch had directed, Kallen crept toward the church the Ashfords had built on campus for anyone who might want to use it. _Of course_ that was where Nunnally's abductor would lay in wait, the pretentious prick. When she got her hands on him, she was going to cut off his cock and shove it down his throat.

And so Kallen laid in wait no more than ten metres from the stained glass window at the back of the building. She and Lelouch had left Suzaku behind to free Nunnally with his frankly inhuman levels of dexterity and physical prowess. As soon as Lelouch gave the signal, she would burst through the window and deal with the man foul enough to put the life of someone as sweet, harmless, and adorable as Nunnally in danger.

Lelouch screamed, and there was the signal. Kallen burst into action.

A handful of rocks thrown through the window opened the way. Right behind them, Kallen leapt through the now open window. Immediately, her eyes locked onto Mao. He looked young, possibly younger than her. His arms were heavily bandaged. From the awkward way he stood, she assumed the rest of his body was in no better condition.

With ease, Kallen dodged a pair of hasty gunshots from the injured man. She unsheathed her concealed knife and moved in close. A quick, non-fatal stab to the gut put him down on the ground. From there, she stomped on the hand holding the pistol and then kicked the gun away.

"Oh, I am going to enjoy killing a snivelling little bastard like you."

"You disarmed the bomb? Impossible!"

Kallen reached down and pulled Mao up by the collar. "On that we are certainly in agreement. Suzaku is a freak of nature. But you don't need to worry about that anymore. Now, it's just you, and me, and the overprotective brother whose sister you threatened."

For whatever reason, Mao apparently ignored Kallen in favour of staring at Lelouch behind her in shock. Then out of nowhere, he said, "That's ridiculous! You bet everything on a pair of friends? What if they'd failed you?" Kallen slapped him to get his attention back.

Meanwhile, Lelouch made a phone call. "Suzaku, everything is fine now. Go ahead and untie Nunnally and bring her back to my flat."

"You think you've won?" Mao blurted out.

"Hmm… Looks like it to me," Kallen snarked. She punched Mao in the gut for good measure, forgetting that she'd stabbed him nearby but moments ago. _Oh great, now my hand is covered in blood. I'm going to ruin all of my clothes. I just know it._

Through the pain, Mao muttered, "Get your hands off me, you whore."

Kallen obliged and dropped Mao to the ground. She stood tall over him with a dangerous smile. "Oh, ho, ho, ho." She cracked her knuckles. "I must have misheard you. Want to say that again?"

"You heard me. The parallels in your life are obvious. Your mother ruined hers being with a Britannian."

Kallen grounded herself in preparation to deliver a good solid kick to the groin.

Heedless to the approaching danger, Mao continued, "And the more time you spend with the prince, the more willing you become to reenact the Emblem of Blood's finale on his word alone."

 _What?_ Kallen paused halfway to ensuring Mao would never be a father. "What the bloody hell are you on about?"

"You know he's just using you, but more and more you're no longer just using him in return."

That might very well be true, but Kallen did hope that Lelouch actually considered her a friend as she did him.

"Soon enough, he'll ask you to assassinate his family and call him your emperor. If you're lucky, maybe he'll fuck your brains out while he's at it."

"W-what!"

"After all, you're just like his mother, and he's just like his fath – oh shit!"

Lelouch roared, "Mao!" His face warped into a terrifying visage of rage. He'd picked up Mao's pistol in the middle of the man's monologue and held it ready to fire. "Never speak again!" The instant after he said the words, Lelouch fired a bullet straight into Mao's head.

For good measure, Lelouch shot Mao again, this time in the heart. Then he fired a third time into one of the man's knees. When he moved to fire a fourth time in the other one, Kallen placed a hand on the pistol and gently pushed it toward the ground.

"Enough. He's already dead."

Lelouch growled – actually _growled_. "I thought that last time, and yet here he is again."

Kallen turned her gaze upon Mao for a moment. That certainly explained where all the bandages had come from. Although she was curious about the story behind that comment, she didn't press Lelouch to explain himself further – not now, at least.

A moment passed in silence between the two, neither quite sure what to say.

"Lelouch," Kallen hazarded, "you're not like your–"

"You can borrow the shower in my flat again to get cleaned up," Lelouch interrupted. "I'll bring you a change of clothes without blood all over them."

Kallen sighed at her words being brushed off, but she smiled nonetheless and said, "Thank you."

"When Sayoko gets back, I'll ask her to draw up a room for you. I think we need to have a long talk."

"Probably," Kallen allowed. Narrowing her eyes, she gestured toward Mao with her head. "What about him?"

"I'll take care of it. I'm not having you call the Black Knights here."

* * *

Later that night after a pleasant supper with Nunnally, Sayoko, Lelouch, and Suzaku, Kallen found herself with Lelouch in the sitting room of the Lamperouge flat after everyone else had left or gone to bed.

"So, an OSI agent?"

Kallen looked away from Lelouch. "Suzaku caught me in a compromising position. I had to tell him something."

"Fair enough. Thank you for your assistance today regardless."

"You're welcome." A moment passed. "Are we really going to just pretend Mao didn't say anything?"

"About what? About how you're apparently in denial over an unspoken attraction to me?"

"No, you git," Kallen said with a good barefooted kick to Lelouch's leg. "I know you're at least as capable of picking up on subtext as I am, Zero."

"So you do know. Since when?"

"Do you remember the last time you asked me that question?"

Lelouch let out a frustrated huff. "So since the very beginning. Of course."

"Personally, Lelouch, I'm fine with the way things are. We can continue to keep our public and private lives…well, not separate. They never were. But I enjoy our friendship outside of the Black Knights."

"Despite all of the trouble you cause me and against my better judgement" – Kallen rolled her eyes – "I agree. I am, however, sceptical of your suitability as a royal assassin."

"Uh-huh. Then might I just say that although I don't see how you could possibly be a worse emperor than your father, I'm sceptical of your capability to match his…stamina."

After a moment, Lelouch cracked a grin, and that was all Kallen needed to start snickering. Finally, they both abandoned all pretences and simply laughed together. They both desperately needed the release after the stress of the day.

"Lelouch, you don't have to answer, but if you do, I'd appreciate it if you told me the truth. What is it that you actually want from this rebellion? Do you want to become the emperor? Do you want to free Japan? Are you after revenge?"

After a momentary pause, Lelouch said, "Two things. I want to create a place where Nunnally can live freely and safely. I don't particularly care where that happens, although I confess to some fondness for Japan. Beyond that, I do want revenge for both myself and my sister as well as my mother. I intend to personally put a bullet through the emperor's head and anyone responsible for my mother's assassination."

"I can drink to that. I don't suppose you keep pints of frothing ale around, do you?"

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Oh. Well, in that case, I'm going to have to turn you in for a better deal."

Lelouch deadpanned, "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal," and Kallen smirked.

"I didn't take you for a sci-fi fan."

"There are many things about me which you either do not know or will reveal you've known for years to my eternal frustration."

Kallen giggled, and such a weird feeling that was. It'd been _years_ since the last time she'd genuinely giggled.

"What about you?" Lelouch asked. "What do you actually want from the rebellion?"

"Hmm…" Kallen stopped to give the question serious thought for some time before she replied. "Before you sank your claws into me, I don't think I really had any purpose other than hurting everyone who had hurt me. Now, though, I think I just want to be the hero because I can and no one else will."

"Is that so?"

Kallen nodded. "If opportunity allows, however, I would greatly appreciate it if we could kill my stepmother."

Lelouch let out a bark of laughter. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Thank you for the consideration," Kallen said with a bright smile. She doubted Matilda would ever put herself in a position the Black Knights could justifiably execute her for, but it was nice to have the option available. The fantasy alone probably brought her as much satisfaction as Lelouch got from imagining killing his father.

"As we no longer have anything to hide from one another," Lelouch began, "there is something that I've been meaning to do. I suppose I can be far more forthright about it now."

"Please tell me you're not about to kiss me." To be honest, Kallen had no idea how she would respond if he did, and that worried her somewhat.

"Hardly," Lelouch said. "I've been subtly pushing you to learn how to lead and command. You have a lot of raw potential that you've clearly either never had the opportunity or the inclination to explore that I want to bring out."

Kallen thought back on everything she had done as a Black Knight. Lelouch _had_ kept her closer than a simple bodyguard needed to be, ordering her to attend meetings with him that she really didn't need to be at, ostensibly for his protection. Now that she gave the matter some thought, her opinion did seem to hold an inordinate amount of weight within the order. No one had listened to her when they were simply the Kōzuki Resistance, but most people would defer to her now whenever Lelouch and Ohgi weren't around.

"Huh. And what did you have in mind now, then?"

"I thought I'd save you the trouble of ordering takeaway everyday to avoid going home and invite you to eat with Nunnally and me. Afterwards, I can teach you directly before we leave to rendezvous with the Black Knights."

"Oh, how romantic! Candlelit dinners, politics, and battle plans." Kallen feigned a swoon. "You do realise that's only going to confirm the rumours about us in everyone's mind, right?"

Lelouch scoffed. "You drag me to every party you're invited to as your plus one. It's far too late to be worried about that."

"Hey, that's your fault," Kallen protested. "I _know_ you somehow got Tamaki to start that conversation. If I must suffer, you must suffer with me."

"Yeah, yeah," Lelouch said with a wave of his hand. "Regardless, are you up for the lessons?"

"I suppose so," Kallen said with a shrug. "Knowing you, you'll just figure out how to work them into my regular duties anyway."

"How astute of you."

* * *

 _ **Kaminejima, Area 11  
**_ _ **October 20, 2017 a.t.b.**_

"Kallen?"

The girl in question started and gave away her presence, much to her chagrin. She had focused too hard on lining up a headshot on Suzaku, and now it had cost her.

"Do you not want to know Zero's true identity?" Suzaku asked.

"What are you talking about?" Kallen replied. She was tempted to just shoot Suzaku, but he had a damnable tendency to dodge, and that would put Lelouch in danger.

"You have a right to see it, too."

 _What is he going to–_ When the sound of a gunshot exploded in Kallen's ears, she immediately pulled her own trigger. Fortunately, Suzaku did not dodge, but in her haste, her aim was off. She only managed to wound his shoulder. She fired again, but this time he moved like a man possessed with that inhuman reaction time of his to avoid any further damage until she ran out of bullets.

A cracking sound came from across the cave as Lelouch's mask slowly split in half. It fell off soon after, leaving his face and stunned expression clear for Kallen and Suzaku to see. A flash of pain lit up Suzaku's face at the sight.

"I knew it. Kallen, Lelouch has used you most terribly."

"You're speaking like I didn't know it was him under the mask all along," Kallen said. "My job is to protect him, not to babysit him."

Although the shock showed on Suzaku's face, it didn't last long. "I see. Kallen, you're not an OSI agent, you only think you are."

Kallen opened her mouth to retort, but then her brain caught up with what Suzaku had said. "You wanna run that by me again?"

"Lelouch has a despicable power called geass. It lets him twist the mind to suit his whim. Don't you find it strange how suddenly Euphemia turned on the Japanese?"

"I'm not buying it," Kallen said. She quietly reached into a pocket of her pilot suit for another ammo clip while Suzaku's attention was on Lelouch. Then seeing as her prince wasn't responding for whatever reason, she took charge of the situation. "You have two options, Suzaku. Leave and survive, or stay and bleed out in this standoff." She would rather not open fire again and risk Suzaku actively trying to kill Lelouch.

"After what he did to Euphemia, do you think I'd just leave!"

"Your options are what they are. Pick one."

An even deeper fury found its way onto Suzaku's face when presented with the choice. Before long, though, the blood loss caught up to him. "Fine," he said. Slowly with his pistol still trained on Lelouch, he backed his way out of the weird cave they'd fallen into before on Kaminejima. Only once he was long gone did Kallen relax. She then turned her attention onto Lelouch.

"Hey," Kallen said gently. "Suzaku is the world's biggest hypocrite. Don't let him get to you."

"He wasn't wrong, though," Lelouch said almost in defeat.

Kallen quirked an eyebrow. "I'm reasonably confident I don't believe I'm an OSI agent."

"Not about that," Lelouch said. A slight hint of his usual dry humour and confidence underlaid the words. "If I wanted a slave, I would have _a slave_. I wouldn't faff about with some convoluted plot."

"I should think not. So what, then? You have some supernatural ability to twist the minds of others?"

"Quite."

"Bullshit."

"It's not."

"Prove it."

"I can't. It only works once per person."

Kallen narrowed her eyes. "Then use it on yourself."

"I already have. Mao had a geass that let him read minds. I erased my own memory of our plan to outplay him."

Kallen rubbed her temples in exasperation. "Fine, whatever. I don't care. I'm either magically compelled to be loyal or choose to be. The world looks no different to me either way right now. But if you're going to stand there and tell me you commanded your sister to start a massacre, though, I'm going to have you committed."

"I gave the order," Lelouch confessed.

"Look, I'm really not interested in whatever third act plot twist led to the SAZ Massacre at the moment. Right now, I have friends and comrades fighting a full scale revolution who need their leader. What are we doing here?"

Lelouch's eyes widened. "Nunnally! She's been abducted."

Wisely, Kallen resisted asking, "Again?"

"These ruins are connected to the power of geass. She's here. Somewhere."

After a moment of hesitation, Kallen decided to give Lelouch the benefit of the doubt. She'd never known him to take Nunnally's safety lightly. "Alright. Then how do we get to her?"

A frown overtook Lelouch's face. "I don't know."

Asking the obvious question, Kallen said, "Well, who would?"

"C.C."

"Where is she?"

The silence said everything for Lelouch.

"She's not dead," Lelouch said. "She's immortal. But retrieving her won't be easy. Or fast."

Kallen breathed deeply and let that immortality claim pass by unremarked.

"Okay," Kallen said. "Is there any way for Nunnally to be spirited away without passing through here?"

After a moment of hesitation, Lelouch said, "Not that I know of. But I don't know how any of this works."

"So either a guard here will keep Nunnally in place or she's already long gone. And we probably need C.C. to get to her." After staring Lelouch in the eye for a few seconds, Kallen said, "I'll go order a squad to come here. We need to return to the battle with the Guren and the Gawain. We'll win, set a team to retrieving C.C. from wherever she is, and then get Nunnally back. Okay?"

"I can't–"

Interrupting, Kallen said, "You're not doing her any good standing here fiddling with a wall. I'll order a squad here. You have that long to figure out how to save her. If you can't do it in that time, you're not going to get it anytime soon."

When Lelouch finally accepted the obvious, his shoulders fell, and a broken look overtook his face. The latter passed soon enough, but Kallen had been tempted to hug him all the same.

Then suddenly and without warning, Lelouch's eyes widened. He threw Kallen to the ground behind a boulder and said, "I leave you in command. Lead the Black Knights well."

At that moment, the Lancelot burst into the cave. Right before her eyes, unable to prevent it, she saw everything fall to pieces all because she didn't fucking kill the traitor.

* * *

 **Somewhere in Siberia  
** **May 1, 2016 a.t.b.**

"No!" Kallen bolted upright and scanned the area for her prince while taking ragged breaths. She found him on the floor next to her tangled in a blanket and looking very put out with her but otherwise unharmed. Next, she took in her surroundings more fully. There were people everywhere – refugees, by their appearance. A few around her were awake and looked irritated, although they said nothing. And she was in a train carriage? How did that make sense?

"Rose, calm down," Lelouch said in French.

 _Who's Rose?_

"You had a nightmare is all."

 _A nightmare?_

"Whatever happened, it was just a dream."

 _Just a dream?_ "But it felt so real. I…" Now that she'd had some time to process everything, Kallen felt her racing heart slow and her panic settle. She remembered where she was now. And she remembered that horrible name Lelouch had foisted upon her for his own amusement while they were undercover. She now had no sympathy for knocking him off the bench they were sharing as a bed.

"I'm sorry for waking you, Rollie," Kallen said. 'Roland' may have gotten to chose his own false identity, but his beloved Rose had a fiancée's privilege of referring to him however she wanted. "My apologies to anyone awake to hear them as well."

And that was that. A few moments later, Lelouch lay down beside Kallen and wrapped their blankets back around them both. In a quiet voice, he asked, "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

"No," Kallen said slowly. "It wasn't even a nightmare. Most of it was rather amusing, I think. It's already fading. It was just the ending that got to me. I think you were about to die. I woke up before I could find out."

"Well, it's good that it was just a dream, then."

 _Was it, though?_ Kallen activated her geass to reassure herself. When it failed to inform her of either her or Lelouch's imminent demise, she felt herself relax into her bedmate. And now that she was in a right state of mind to think, both of her parents had been alive in the dream. There was no way it could be real. "Just a dream," she murmured.

Together, Kallen and Lelouch went back to sleep.

* * *

Less than a metre away, C.C. silently chuckled. Now that those two knew about geass – and she admitted that their discovery was her fault – she had the freedom to mess with them for her own amusement in whatever way she chose. Her code might be a curse, but it had its perks from time to time.

* * *

 **A/N:** There is, in fact, a part two to this omake. Part two was the one I was originally going to post, but I've wanted to write the 'I knew all along' joke for forever, and I finally decided to just do it. It really only works in the context of a more Britannian Kallen, and I didn't want to let this opportunity go by. Unfortunately, now that there's a part one, that does mean the second half needs a little touching up before it's ready.

And yes, this is canon to the rest of the story.

P.S. I'm aware that I pushed Mao's appearance back to after Kaminejima. For comedic purposes, it had to happen.


	19. Omake - A Knight at Heart

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

 **Disclaimer:** The ships presented in this omake are independent of the romantic conclusions of the main story.

* * *

Round One  
Omake - A Knight at Heart

* * *

 _What if Kallen never introduced herself to Euphemia and Nunnally?  
_ _Part Two of I Knew All Along_

* * *

 _ **Sea of Japan  
**_ _ **October 23, 2017 a.t.b.**_

The mask of Zero was a heavy burden. Whosoever wore it bore more than just the hope of the Japan on their shoulders. In truth, the revolution had never been about Japan at all. Fighting for independence had been a mere stepping stone. The Black Knights fought for justice, and Zero had never once explicitly stated what was to be their end game.

But Zero was only one aspect of Lelouch. In the privacy of his flat in the student council building, he'd revealed so much. Kallen knew the direction he'd intended to take the Black Knights and the plans he'd laid past the Black Rebellion. He'd spoken of toppling the Chinese Federation and poaching allies from the EU. He'd envisioned of a world united against Britannia. He'd dreamt of a world ultimately at peace once the dust had settled, a place where Nunnally could live freely without fear or discrimination.

And Lelouch had entrusted it all to Kallen.

A knock came at the door. Tohdoh's voice soon followed. "Kōzuki-san, we've picked up the Gawain on our sonar."

"Is the cockpit still in it?"

"No."

Kallen sighed. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Continue searching the ocean surface for it until then."

"As you wish."

When Tohdoh's footsteps had faded, Kallen turned her attention back to Zero's mask. It was a silly idea, really, even if it kept coming back to her. Lelouch was a hand taller than her and even though he'd looked damn good at Milly's cross-dressing ball, she was far too womanly to match his figure. There was no way she could impersonate him. Even if she could match his appearance physically, he had a charisma and gift for speaking that far surpassed her own. No one would buy the act.

"I'm sorry, Lelouch. I couldn't do it. Morale fell too low without you and your miracles, and Ohgi got himself shot like an idiot. The chain of command wasn't robust enough to handle all three of us being missing at the same time. It shouldn't have needed to be. I managed to save everyone we can't replace, though, so there's that."

Kallen laughed without any joy in the act. "I sound so callous. Here I am calling so many of my oldest friends replaceable. No wonder I was the only person you really talked to in the Black Knights. I was the only one you could count on to not die and stick around to the very end." She snorted as she recalled the revelations on Kaminejima. "Even in the face of potential mind control."

Or perhaps because of it, if she decided to believe in geass. Not that it really mattered. Brainwashed or not, as Kallen had said to Lelouch, the world looked the same to her either way. The damage would already be done. There was no point worrying over it; she was who she was, she liked who she was, and that was that.

Kallen did, however, intend to have it out with him if he'd left additional commands in place as levers over her very being. _That_ would be unacceptable. Lelouch had implied that he hadn't, but one never knew for sure with him.

With one last look at the mask of Zero, Kallen turned to leave Lelouch's quarters.

* * *

 _ **Sea of Japan  
**_ _ **October 24, 2017 a.t.b.**_

"Welcome back, C.C.."

Without much interest, C.C. simply replied, "Where's Zero?"

"Let's not talk here," Kallen said, eyeing their audience warily. What they had to discuss needed to be kept secret. She led C.C. back to Lelouch's quarters on the Black Knights' submarine and then, only once the door was firmly closed, said, "I was hoping _you_ could tell _me_ where Lelouch is."

C.C. frowned. "What happened to him?"

"Suzaku took him. He brought a knightmare to a gunfight, and that went about as well as you'd expect for me and Lelouch." After a second of awkward silence, Kallen added, "We need to get Lelouch back before the emperor executes him. He left me in charge of the Black Knights, so we have all the resources we need."

"We're in no rush," C.C. said. "Dear old Charles will probably use Lelouch as bait to lure me out. Besides, the boy isn't as unloved as he believes.

She really didn't want to know the answer, but Kallen had to ask. " _You_ know the emperor?"

C.C. merely nodded and declined to elaborate further.

"So geass…" Kallen said.

"He told you about that?" If that surprised C.C., she showed it only through the slight raising of her eyebrows.

"Well…Suzaku made the claim, and Lelouch confirmed it."

"Oh? And you're not doubting him?"

With a shrug, Kallen said, "Maybe a little, but not significantly. More importantly, Lelouch said you'd be able to find Nunnally, so I was hoping you'd be able to find him."

C.C. shook her head. "I'd just be taking the bait. We'll have to find him through mundane means."

"Is there really no magic you can do? Nothing?"

For a moment, C.C. stared at Kallen with a blank expression on her face. Then, of all things, she asked, "What is it you want most?"

"Huh?" _Where did that come from?_

"What is it you want most? It's a simple question?"

"Uh… Like, right now? From life? In my dreams?"

C.C. returned the enquiries with a no nonsense demand to answer the question.

"Er, right, well, I guess I'd like to redo the Black Rebellion?"

"Why?" C.C. pressed.

"Why?" Kallen echoed. She blinked. Was it not obvious? "Because I let Lelouch be captured. I failed to free Japan. I wasn't able to save all of my friends. Are you really going to make me go on?"

"Which one of those matters to you the most?"

Kallen stopped herself with the reflexive _correct_ answer on the tip of her tongue, unable to give voice to it. She then briefly considered giving the answer that made her look like a good person, but those words, too, refused to form.

From the hesitation, C.C. no doubt deduced the answer and smirked. "I'm only interested in protecting Lelouch until he fulfils my wish. I don't care about anything else. Besides, what is a knight without her prince?"

"I'm not his knight," Kallen said, although she only denied it half-heartedly.

"Then what is a queen without her king?"

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. You're a riot. Let's all pick on Q1."

"Indeed. Now that we've concluded that what you want most is to find and save Lelouch, hold on to that feeling."

"Huh? Why–"

C.C. cut Kallen off by dragging her into a kiss. The world fell away, and four little words hung heavily in the air.

"I propose a deal."

* * *

 _ **Aries Palace  
**_ _ **Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
**_ _ **December 3, 2017 a.t.b.**_

Aries Villa had come straight out of a fairy tale. No other description would do it justice. Kallen had always considered Stadtfeld Manor a place of peace and beauty even as she'd come to loathe all that it represented, but it paled in comparison to the sight before her eyes. The palace itself was a work of art, and even from a hilltop kilometres away, she could tell that the nearby lake boasted crystal clear water rivalling any other in the homeland.

A somber feeling of regret seeped into Kallen's thoughts. If she had only met Lelouch when they were younger, life would have been very different for the two of them. Even if nothing else had changed, she certainly could have used a real friend her own age.

Kallen sighed and turned her focus back onto the mission. "I'm at the hill you described. Where do I go from here?"

In her ear, C.C.'s voice spoke. "There's a tree with a large burr on it."

After a quick scan of the area, Kallen said, "Found it."

"Punch it."

Kallen quirked an eyebrow. For all that C.C. acted aloof and uninterested in the world, the woman did seem to enjoy getting a rise out of her and never missed an opportunity to prank her. She moved to gently press the burr instead but hesitated. This was a hole in security that _Lelouch's_ mother had designed. If he and his paranoia took the slightest bit after Marianne, a gentle tap might set off an alarm.

 _Right then. I suppose I'll kick it. Won't hurt nearly as bad that way if this is a joke._

So decided, Kallen carefully positioned herself and swung a leg up. She grunted when her foot met solid wood, but it was C.C.'s laughter that really hurt.

 _Of course. So predictable._ "Are you quite done?"

"Ten paces behind the tree, you should find a trapdoor. The tunnel will take you all the way into the villa."

Following instructions, Kallen found a patch of grass that didn't grow exactly right. She picked up a stick and rammed it into the ground, using it as a lever to pry open a metal hatch. When that was done, she hopped into the unlit tunnel. Using her phone as a torch, she began the long walk.

"Are you sure this won't be a trap?" Kallen asked sometime later.

"Positive," C.C. replied. "Marianne would never have told V.V. about this entrance. Charles, maybe, but he knows Nunnally is of no interest to me and won't bother so long as he has Lelouch under his control."

Kallen hummed, not sure if she completely believed that argument, but this was worth the risk nonetheless.

"At the end of the tunnel, you'll find a wardrobe with a few uniforms in it. You're about my size, so they should all fit you. Maybe a little tight in the chest."

Despite herself, Kallen smirked at that.

"I recommend the maid outfit. You'll draw less attention pushing Nunnally's wheelchair that way, but be careful. I doubt Aries Villa has changed much over the years, so everyone will know everyone. Also, the wireless password is probably still 'Lulu and Nunnally are so adorable I can't stand it!'."

Kallen nearly tripped as her image of her childhood hero took a major blow.

In a rather flat tone as though to distance herself from her old friend, C.C. added, "Marianne refused to ever change it."

"Right…"

"Just play some mind-numbing Internet game on your phone, keep your head down, and try to look like you know where you're going. Your disguise is good, but there's always the chance someone might recognise you anyway if you draw attention."

When Kallen arrived at the end of the tunnel, she found the wardrobe C.C. had spoken of. She was mildly surprised to find the clothing within remained in good condition and quickly put on the maid uniform as suggested.

"Where in the villa will this exit put me?" Kallen asked.

"Seven years ago, Marianne's bedroom."

"Fair enough."

After carefully listening for anyone on the other side of the exit, Kallen left the tunnel behind and stepped into Aries Villa proper. She was indeed in a bedroom, and she quickly memorised the layout so that she'd be able to find the right one again on her way out without C.C.'s assistance.

Kallen activated her geass. It poured into her mind far more information than she needed, but the storm calmed as she focused on her target.

"Nunnally is above me. Where are the stairs?"

"Avoid the main staircase at the front of the villa. There are two others on the far east and west side of the building. There should also be a central lift. The servants used to use it for laundry and such, but it's probably been retrofitted for Nunnally's usage."

"Thanks."

It was almost laughable how easily Kallen managed to get through the villa without question. One or two people clearly noticed her as a new face, but she moved with confidence and didn't look out of place. No one demanded to know who she was in the halls nor as she climbed the stairs. On the second floor, she followed the pull of her geass directing her to Lelouch's stray sister. Eventually, she came upon a pair of doors behind which she knew she would find Nunnally.

Kallen knocked, and a quiet voice she'd not heard in months returned, "Come in!" She quickly stomped down on the warm feelings bubbling up her chest and pushed open the door. There would be time for heartfelt reunions later.

And there she was. Right across the room sat Nunnally. She looked a little taller and a little more mature, but no one could mistake the adorable girl for anyone else. Even here in the heart of Britannia without her brother, she exuded an aura of serenity. "Good afternoon," she said.

Kallen kept quiet and quickly crossed the space between them to slip a piece of paper into Nunnally's hand. The girl recognised it for what it was immediately and slid a finger over the braille text that read, 'Don't react. Walls have ears.'

Once Nunnally nodded, Kallen spoke. "Ah. Yes." From the expression on her face, Nunnally recognised Kallen's voice immediately. "Good evening, Your Highness. Forgive me. My mind was elsewhere."

"It's–" Nunnally's voice hitched, but she recovered quickly. "It's okay. Everyone experiences such moments on occasion."

"I just came here to fetch a few things, but is there anything you need of me while I'm here?" Kallen slipped another piece of paper into Nunnally's hands.

Nunnally hummed in thought as she read the note. Then as requested, she asked, "There is, now that you mention it. Would you please take me to my mother's old bedroom?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

With that, the pair made their way through the villa while chatting quietly about nothing and C.C. gave Kallen directions. Several people said hello to Nunnally as they passed, and she would politely return the greeting. Clearly, the girl had charmed everyone here as easily as she had at Ashford. The emperor should fear the day she developed a taste for power, for the throne would be hers within days.

Kallen quietly chuckled to herself at the thought of sweet, gentle Nunnally on the Britannian throne. What a strange world that would be, but certainly not an unwelcome one.

The pair soon reached their destination. Inside, Kallen asked, "Would you like me to help you onto the bed, perhaps?"

Nunnally quickly took the cue and said, "If you would be so kind."

Kallen then scooped Nunnally up into her arms and carried her into the secret passage leaving the villa. The wheelchair no doubt had a dozen means of being tracked, so they would have to abandon it. Kallen gently set Nunnally down and turned to seal the exit behind them as it'd been upon her arrival.

 _Almost done._ Kallen moved back to Nunnally and began searching her clothing for any untoward additions. "Excuse me, Your Highness," she said. Ultimately finding nothing, she let out a relieved sigh. "Nunnally, it's so good to see you."

"It's been so long," Nunnally said. She stretched her arms out for a hug, and Kallen happily reciprocated. "How is everyone?"

"I…don't know," Kallen admitted. "I haven't been back to Ashford since the Black Rebellion." _But I probably could return. I don't think Suzaku had any interest in outing me as a Black Knight, and I doubt the student council would either._

Nunnally let out a dispirited, "Oh."

"Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine," Kallen said. She grasped Nunnally's hand so that the girl could work her strange magic and know that the words were the truth. And it _could_ very well be magic; after learning about geass, Kallen would not discount the possibility. "Nina's…um…episode was as dangerous as the situation at Ashford ever became."

Nunnally let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. I have so little access to the outside world here."

"I'd imagine." To the quizzical look Kallen received, she added, "You're in a gilded cage, Nunnally. As far as I can tell, you're the emperor's final leverage over Lelouch if he breaks his chains."

"What! But – but I've been asking after Lelouch since I got here. Is–" Nunnally hesitated as fear crept into her voice. "Is he okay?"

Kallen debated the merits of honesty for a few seconds before deciding to simply offer Nunnally as much of the truth as she could. The poor girl had been left in the dark too much already. "I know he's alive, I know he's in the emperor's custody, and I know how to find him, but that's all. I'm sorry, Nunnally."

"It's okay." Nunnally forced an optimistic smile onto her face. "It's enough to know that he's alive."

A small smile slipped onto Kallen's face. "He'll be more than that soon enough. I'm going to rescue him. I just needed to get you first so he doesn't stubbornly refuse to leave with me and put your safety at risk."

Nunnally giggled. "That does sound like something he would do."

"Do I have your permission to abduct you, then, Your Highness?"

Nunnally giggled again. "Hmm, I don't know. What would my brother say if I were kidnapped a third time in less than a year?"

"Oh, I think I want to see his reaction to that. I'm sorry, Princess, but you no longer have any choice in the matter."

"You brute," Nunnally teased.

Kallen rolled her eyes and quickly changed back into her own clothes. She then cradled Nunnally in her arms again and, with a grunt as she stood upright, began the trek to freedom. A few minutes later, Nunnally spoke up again.

"Kallen?"

"Hmm?"

"How long have you known Lelouch and I are royalty?"

"There wasn't a time when I didn't know," Kallen admitted.

"Oh." Nunnally adopted a thoughtful expression. "Why are you doing this? You're a Black Knight, aren't you?"

"Ah…" _How to explain this without telling her that Lelouch is Zero?_ "It's not that simple. I'm…" Kallen sighed. "I more or less do whatever Lelouch needs me to, whether that be looking after you or earning the favour of a group he considers able to pose a legitimate challenge to Britannian rule."

Nunnally fell silent for a few seconds as she processed that. "Did my brother knight you?"

And _of course_ that question resulted in C.C. laughing uproariously in Kallen's ear. She felt her eye twitch but did her best to ignore the witch.

"He has not."

"Well, he should have with all you've done for him. Us."

"Nunnally, it's really not something I want."

"But–" Nunnally's brows furrowed in thought. "Unless…" She gasped. "Is Lelouch courting you!"

At a loss, all Kallen got out was a simple, "Wait, what?"

Again the witch laughed.

Before Kallen could properly deny her supposed relationship with Lelouch, Nunnally said, "Oh, this is wonderful! I've always worried he would never find someone because of me. I thought maybe Miss C.C. would be that person, but I should have known when he started inviting you to dinner. He never does that with anyone. I can't believe I believed him when he told me you were just friends."

Kallen sighed and silently vowed to keep C.C. and Nunnally as far apart as possible.

* * *

 _ **Ashford Academy  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **March 27, 2018 a.t.b.**_

Following her geass, Kallen had found Lelouch easily enough. Honestly, she would have stumbled upon him by accident at some point even without it. This was almost embarrassing.

"They put him at Ashford?" Kallen said, incredulous.

"He _is_ meant to be bait for me," C.C. replied flatly. "He _should_ be easy to locate."

"Yes, but still."

Kallen shook her head and walked toward campus, but C.C. grasped her arm and stopped her. Curious, she looked back at the witch, who wore an intense frown upon her face.

"What is it?"

"There's a geass user on campus. Even if they're not aware that you're a Black Knight, approaching Lelouch would be unwise. Especially if…"

Kallen quirked an eyebrow. "If what?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, C.C. finally said, "The emperor's geass can alter memories. I can overwhelm the effect by forcing Lelouch to relive his true memories, but if you go in there and he doesn't have them–"

"I'd get nowhere with him. Bollocks. You got any better ideas than 'smash and grab'?"

Kallen glanced at C.C. to see her smirking.

"Whatever you're thinking, no."

Deaf to Kallen's refusal, C.C. said, "I would bet anything that if Lelouch is allowed to leave campus, he still gambles."

* * *

 _ **Baccarat Casino  
**_ _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **May 1, 2018 a.t.b.**_

Lelouch stared at the bunny girl he'd just bumped into. He barely noticed the wine soaking into his uniform, heard her apologies, or noticed her attempting to dry his clothes. There was something about the redhead that screamed at him to remember her. He racked his brain for the faintest memory of her, but nothing came to mind. He really had no idea where he'd have seen a Britannian bunny girl before, either. Usually only Elevens took jobs like that.

Although now that Lelouch thought about it, the woman's features _did_ betray the _slightest_ hint of Japanese ancestry. He had to squint at her in just the right way to see it, but the clues were there to see for those who knew _exactly_ what to look for.

 _And there's that sense of familiarity again. How do_ I _know what to look for?_

Lelouch only snapped out of his thoughts when a complete cad grasped the redhead by her hair. The man pulled her upright and forced her to look at him, saying, "Let me take a look at your face."

Stunned at the brazen display, Lelouch remained silent and watched on without a word.

"Hmm… Nice merchandise."

Another man who Lelouch recognised as the owner of the casino replied, "Yes, Mr King. I'm glad that your bunny hunting today resulted in many prizes." Two obvious goons in shades stood behind him with three other bunny girls. The women had their hands bound together, collars about their necks, and were led by chains.

 _Are these people serious? Even as regards Elevens, slavery isn't legal._

Lelouch looked back at the redhead before him. Something told him that she could fend for herself just fine, but that same mysterious source of knowledge told him more than that. It whispered that the seemingly meek bunny girl would _absolutely loathe_ it if he played along with the scenario to the point where she might try to beat him to death with her bare hands. And for some reason beyond all logic, that thought amused him.

"I'm not merchandise," the redhead said.

Mr King, if that was really the man's name, replied, "You are. You should know by now. Losers don't have any rights."

"Indeed, she is," Lelouch said. The redhead's eyes snapped to him in surprise and not a little _betrayal_. _So we_ do _know each other. Interesting._ "And I think I would like to outbid you for her."

 _Ah, there it is._ A smirk grew on Lelouch's face as the redhead's eyes snapped into a fierce glare with a fire so at odds with her performance so far. And indeed, he knew now more than ever that her submissiveness _was_ an act. Anyone who got too close without permission would be burnt, but he had every intention of braving the flames.

* * *

In the chaos that was the Black Knights' attack on the casino, Kallen had finally found a moment to be alone with Lelouch. They only had a few minutes, but it would do for now.

Or it would if Kallen chose not to murder Lelouch in the next five seconds.

"Not. One. Word," Kallen said.

Of course, Lelouch paid no heed to the warning. "You know, I distinctly recall mentioning that you would make a smashing bunny girl. It would appear I was right."

Kallen grit her teeth and just barely restrained herself from punching Lelouch in the face.

"I wonder what I should do with my new pet. It would be a shame to release her into the wild."

"I swear, Lelouch, that when we get out of here, you are going to regret this."

Lelouch met the claim with laughter, completely unfazed. Turning serious, he then said, "I'm very out of the loop. Brief me quickly."

"Bah! Fine. I'm leading a handful of Black Knights on a raid to acquire a person of interest. No one particularly important is involved, but they're all competent."

"How much did you tell them?"

"The bare essentials," Kallen replied. "In the plan, C.C. and I were the ones who would make contact with you. Everyone else merely knows that we won't be able to get you away from your keepers without a fight."

"I see. Excellent work."

Despite herself, Kallen smiled at the praise.

"What about the rest of the Black Knights and–" Lelouch faltered but quickly regained his bearing. "–Nunnally."

Kallen adopted a grim expression. "You're going to be in for a hard time."

"What happened?" Lelouch demanded. His voice and gaze were icy.

"I'm afraid," Kallen began, "Nunnally is convinced we're courting."

Lelouch blinked. "Huh?"

"Indeed. Nothing I've said has been able to dissuade her of the belief, and C.C. encourages the fiction, often with lurid tales of our experimental threesomes with her." Kallen plastered the most fake smile of her life onto her face and added, "I hope you're prepared for her to insist you not make me wait too long for your proposal. She seems to be of the mind that if it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly."

A pregnant silence grew. It took all of Kallen's will not to break it as all manner of hilarious emotions worked their way across Lelouch's face. All good things must come to an end, however, when he uttered a simple, "I see." He then asked, "What have you told the others about me? Or more specifically Zero?"

"As little as I could get away with," Kallen answered. "They know I know who you are and that we have a preexisting friendship outside of the Order. Other than that, I've kept your secrets for you as promised."

"Including my geass?"

With a roll of her eyes, Kallen said, "Yes, that, too."

"Oh? You know what it does, and you're not going to warn the Black Knights?"

Kallen scoffed. "Please. They might accept the whole enemy prince thing if I told them I'd seduced you, but they'd not overlook that _and_ the ability to mind control them. I'm honest enough with myself to know it's my Britannian half that's daft enough to keep my promises to a man who admitted to using his evil magic eye on me."

"That, and the fact that I own you now."

As he so rightly deserved, Kallen punched Lelouch on the arm. He winced, but the look on his face clearly said he felt it was worth it.

"Git." _Must not have hit him hard enough._ "What did you do to me with your geass, anyway?"

"Nothing significant." Lelouch shrugged in a display of indifference, but an annoyed frown poked at the corners of his lips. "I asked you a few questions and then, to my horror, discovered that my geass works but once per person."

Kallen laughed, unable to control herself. It seemed there was some justice in this world after all. "Oh, man," she said, recovering. "That's just too good."

"Yes, very amusing," Lelouch flatly commented. He turned his attention back to the plans he'd been making for them to escape the casino. "You should get back to the Guren."

"Yes, yes. As you command, Zero."

When Kallen was halfway out the door, Lelouch called for her to wait a moment. He wore a serious expression lacking any of his usual dry humour. Although he looked distinctly uncomfortable – and how strange it was for him to bear such an expression – he said, "Kallen, you've gone above the call of duty and far beyond what I could ask of a friend. Thank you for your loyalty and dedication. If there's anything you ever need of me in return, ask and it's yours."

A deep, scarlet flush erupted on Kallen's face as she scrambled for words. This was out of character for Lelouch, and she had no idea how to deal with it. "I… I, uh, well, you're welcome. Just, um…" Her mind refused to instruct her on how to proceed, so she deflected. "Just keep that geass of yours secret. We don't want to test the Black Knights' loyalty and dedication." The last thing they needed was a mutiny splitting the already fractured rebellion and removing the one person who could make it a success.

* * *

 _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
**_ _ **June 22, 2018 a.t.b.**_

Kallen knew a bad situation when she saw one. Lelouch was gone, cast out from the Black Knights in an act of betrayal so unthinkingly foolish she would have slapped her hand to her forehead and groaned were the state of affairs not so serious. Schneizel would roll over the UFN and the Black Knights without Lelouch's leadership. Perhaps it would not be today nor tomorrow, but it would happen one day. She knew _exactly_ how much begrudging respect Lelouch held for his older brother.

And that was merely the big picture. Kallen's own personal prospects were equally grim. With Lelouch gone, she was ostensibly the leader of the Order again. It was no secret, however, that her comrades suspected that Lelouch had enthralled her with more than mere honeyed words. She _did not_ want to find out what they intended to do with her. They'd already threatened to kill her merely for _standing_ between him and them. Jeremiah had disappeared to who knew where, as had C.C.. That bloody yandere, Rolo, had died to save Lelouch, but he'd murdered Shirley, so fuck him. Still, she could very well be next.

 _Would Ohgi even stick up for me…_

Kallen shook the thought from her head. She knew better than to trust someone who had stabbed his leader, the founder of the UFN, and the hero of half the entire bloody world in the back. Her own personal trust in him was broken as well, and it was a constant struggle not to beat him half to death expressing her wrath when in the same room. If she stayed, she was on her own. She'd need to organise a counter coup, and that could easily tear the Black Knights and the UFN apart.

Then there was the matter of her own loyalties to consider. All other concerns stripped away, deep down in her heart, Kallen knew what she was. She'd denied it over and over again, but she had to face the truth to make a fully informed decision. It was ironic, really. In a sense, she'd come full circle. As a child before the war, she'd been so fascinated with the romance of swords and honour, noble princes and oaths of undying loyalty. Then Britannia invaded Japan, and she'd never once given it another thought, yet here she was. She lacked only a ceremonial sword to make it official. She was a knight of honour.

When Kallen reflected on the past few months, she could find no better term to describe her relationship with Lelouch. They'd so easily fallen into the role of prince and knight without a word of discussion. Perhaps he had intentionally treated her as such for his own purposes. She would not put it past him. Nonetheless, she'd responded in kind for a reason. Between her principles and her prince, it seemed her loyalty to the latter won out.

And her prince was missing. Kallen would not abandon him to his fate this time. Not again. Never again. She'd done that at his insistence during the Black Rebellion, and it hadn't worked out. She'd not suffer that once more. If he was going to die, she would die with him.

Kallen breathed deeply and rejected that thought. _We're not going to die. I'm alive. He's alive. I_ know _he's alive. My geass can still sense his location. The emperor is missing, too. Lelouch_ has _to have been behind that._ She paused a moment. _But what then? Nunnally is safe, he'll have his revenge, Japan is…in limbo but on the cusp of freedom, so what next? Where will he go? What will he do? Do I follow him even if it's just to retire to some backwater farm where no one will ever find us?_

As much it galled her to admit it, even just to herself, Kallen knew she would be perfectly fine with that or anything else if Lelouch would just say three little magical words to her. Even if they were a lie, she would follow him to the ends of the Earth and beyond.

Kallen snorted. Those who did not learn from history were doomed to repeat it. Mao's words from so long ago came back to her, but for the life of her, she couldn't muster the energy to care if she ruined her life chasing after Lelouch. Not that she had a surplus of available alternatives to begin with.

 _Okay, Kallen. It won't be hard to find Lelouch with your geass, but the last thing you and he need is to lead the Black Knights or Schneizel straight to him. You need to get ahead of him instead. Assuming he doesn't just vanish into the background, what's his next play?_

And just like that, it was obvious. Without the Black Knights to crush Britannia from without, Lelouch would seek to destroy his father's empire from within. He'd not settle for merely killing the man when the emperor's legacy would remain.

 _I need to get to the homeland. I need to get into the Imperial Palace. I need…_

Kallen hated that it'd come to this. Her mind almost refused to form the words. They dredged up long buried feelings just considering thinking them, ones which she'd be perfectly happy to continue to repress. But there was nothing for it.

 _I need Dad._

* * *

 _ **Stadtfeld Manor  
**_ _ **New York, Britannia  
**_ _ **July 6, 2018 a.t.b.**_

After taking part in countless raids and black ops missions where stealth was critical and leading over half of them herself, sneaking past security into Stadtfeld Manor in the New York countryside almost left Kallen relaxed in the ease and familiarity of it all. Smuggling herself into the homeland as a Britannian refugee from Area Eleven had been significantly harder, mostly because she'd needed to avoid tipping her hand to the Black Knights before she was outside their sphere of influence.

Navigating the manor with hazy, eight-year-old memories, Kallen avoided the staff and peeked into the likely rooms in which she might find her father. She checked his study, the library, the dining room, and his bedroom each in turn before hesitantly turning her attention toward those chambers she'd rather avoid.

Kallen lingered outside the next door. Did she really want to look inside? Being here again was bad enough without dredging up _even more_ memories of her shattered family.

 _Just look,_ Kallen told herself. She breathed deeply. _Just one little peek, and then we move on._

The doorknob felt frigid to the touch. It turned with unjust ease. By all rights, it should be locked, or rusted over, or _something_ to symbolise the permanent loss.

 _Heh heh. I'm so dramatic. I've been spending too much time with Lelouch._

Still, Kallen hesitated. After another moment, she turned away from the door and pressed on with her search. It wasn't _really_ Naoto's room, anyway. He'd only been here two or three times when Kallen was almost too young to remember. This place had never been his home, not like it once had been for her.

The next room was not what Kallen had expected. All of her things from the smaller manor in Japan had been brought across the Pacific and mixed in with a precious childhood that had been darkened and ripped away from her. Long buried memories pressed to the forefront of her mind and demanded attention. Despite herself, she let them.

 _Is that… Oh, wow. Is that really Hopper?_ Kallen pushed the door open all the way. She crossed her room and picked up the plush bunny leaning against the headboard of her bed. _As soft as I remember._ She looked the toy up and down. Some small, childish part of herself quickly grew disappointed. _Not as big, though. You used to be taller than me._

 _I wonder…_

With Hopper still wrapped against her chest, Kallen lowered herself to her knees and stuck a hand under her bed. She lightly banged her fist blindly against the floor, cursing the whole 'being grown-up' thing. She used to be able to slide underneath the bedstead, but now her bloody hips and breasts got in the way. Eventually, however, she met with success and managed to pop up a loose floorboard.

 _Ah ha! My diary! I always regretted leaving this behind. Now I can destroy it properly before anyone else finds it._

Mildly curious, Kallen dusted off her diary and cracked it open. She winced immediately at the tone of it.

 _Urgh. I was such a Brit and so in denial about it._ Not that grown up Kallen was one to talk. She had, after all, just abandoned her leadership of the Black Knights and smuggled herself into the homeland chasing after her unofficial liege lord and soon-to-be emperor. The joke was on her, it seemed.

Kallen flipped a page.

 _Hmm, this was back when I actually cared that I got perfects on exams. Oh, young me. Try doing that while spending ninety percent of your time as an impotent resistance fighter and then as a leader of the rebellion. Yeah, you grow up to be utterly brilliant._ Kallen sighed. _Not that there's much call for calculus in battle._

 _Dresses? A party? What? When did I… Oh, yes. That was when I met Lelouch's mother._ A warm smile crept onto Kallen's face. _I wonder what would have happened if I'd met Lelouch or Nunnally back then instead._

Kallen turned another page.

 _Ah, now this is more like it. Video games, sports – oh, I remember getting into that fight. Good times._

The sound of shattering glass caught Kallen's attention, and her gaze snapped toward its source. There in the doorway stood Reese Stadtfeld, the very man she had come to see. He looked so much older than the last time she'd seen him less than a year ago. He had hints of wrinkles now, and his red hair was interspersed with threads of grey. Even so, she still looked so much more like him than her mother. At his feet lay the broken remains of a cuppa slowly seeping into the carpeting of the hallway.

"Kallen?" Reese's voice came out as a ghost of a whisper.

Frozen in place, Kallen had absolutely no idea what to say. She had so many issues to vent on her father. She'd planned exactly how she'd relieve that stress, too. The first thing she'd intended to do was slap him. Then she'd berate him for leaving her and her mother alone with the harpy he'd ultimately been forced to marry regardless of his self-imposed inability to produce more children.

But Kallen had been caught flat-footed and off guard. Grasping for words, she managed, "Hi, Dad. I won. Sorta."

"You damn foolish girl." Despite the words, they didn't stop Reese from closing the distance between them and wrapping Kallen in a bone-crushing hug. "I thought I'd lost you, too."

"I'm still pissed off at you."

"I know," Reese said, brushing the words away.

"You have a lot to make up to me."

"I know."

"Well…as long as that's clear." Kallen finally returned the hug.

Reese gave a weak laugh. "I can start now. I have…good, I suppose, news and…more news that I suppose is good."

"Like what?" Kallen asked, rolling her eyes. "You didn't disinherit me?"

"Of course I didn't." Reese, clearly reluctantly, released Kallen from his embrace. "That particular variety of nonsense is what left me trapped with Matilda."

Kallen wrinkled her nose at the mention of her stepmother. What a way to ruin the moment.

"Speaking of whom, she was caught in the FLEIJA blast."

Never before in her life had Kallen ever experienced such pure, blissful catharsis in knowing that someone had died. Even Clovis's and – before C.C. had explained the SAZ massacre to her after Lelouch attempted to take the blame – Euphemia's deaths paled in comparison to this gift from the heavens themselves. Indeed, she felt even more wonderful than she'd ever imagined. The only possible way this could be better was if she'd gotten to kill the witch herself, but this would do. She could settle for the irony of a Japanese traitor fighting for Britannia killing her bitch of a stepmother. Suzaku had finally done something right for once.

With a bright smile, Kallen sung the first words that came to mind. "Ding-dong! The witch is dead."

"Kallen…"

"The which witch? The wicked witch."

"Are you quite done?" Reese asked, though Kallen could tell he was not unamused.

"For now. I make no promises against future musical numbers, however."

"Well, do try to keep the energy levels to a minimum. Minami will want to see you, but she's still struggling to recover from the Refrain overdose."

Kallen immediately froze upon hearing that name. "I – I believe you misspoke. Could you repeat that?"

"Your mother will want to see you. She's in the lady's chambers. Do you want me to show you there?"

 _Mum…_ Kallen gulped and shook her head. She'd come here intending to guilt her father into helping her. She'd not expected to have to confront the biggest mistake of her life in return. In a whisper, she said, "I remember where it is."

* * *

 _ **Stadtfeld Manor  
**_ _ **New York, Britannia  
**_ _ **July 7, 2018 a.t.b.**_

The next day, Kallen sat down for lunch with her father for the first time in three years. That she instinctively remembered every fine detail of the etiquette expected of her and naturally fell into the routine irked part of her, but she knew she should be grateful. She would need the skills if she planned to stay with Lelouch through the rest of his revenge. Besides, there were more pressing concerns at hand.

At some point, Reese must have noticed Kallen's eyes nervously flicking toward the footmen waiting upon them, as he said, "It's so good to have you back in the homeland, Kallen. I worried about you constantly when you were in Area Eleven. Especially with that Kōzuki Karen girl causing trouble. It would have been most unpleasant for anyone who mistook her for you."

As unsubtle as that was, Kallen needed no further hints. "That _would_ be very troublesome. I believe she's officially recognised as a foreign citizen now, though, so the worst that could happen is deportation without a war being actively prosecuted."

"Unless we wished to start another war, of course," Reese said. "Miss Kōzuki is very highly placed in the Black Knights. The rumours say she's practically Zero's shadow. I also hear that he's very…attached to her."

Kallen blushed and refused to meet her father's enquiring eyes.

"However, while I would normally expect us to pursue war to reclaim the colony slipping from our grasp," Reese continued, "with the emperor missing, I have no doubt it would not come to that were Miss Kōzuki to be discovered visiting the country. Possibly on diplomatic business?"

' _Diplomatic' is one way to put it._ "That's good. But if she were, her business would hardly be subject matter to carelessly bandy about over lunch."

"True enough."

Hesitantly changing the topic, Kallen asked, "When – when did Mum get here?"

"As soon as I wouldn't have to stand vigil at her bedside all day every day and personally taste test everything she ate."

"So only a few days before me?"

Reese nodded. "In her vulnerable state, I didn't trust Matilda not to have her killed. Rather unfortunately, prison was the safest place for her until recently. Now please tell me, is there a nice _young_ man in your life these days?"

Despite her fierce blush, Kallen knew that enough was enough. There would be no more avoiding the question or making excuses. Lelouch was too emotionally scarred at this point to be expected to make the first move as per tradition. Disregarding everything else, Shirley had died in his arms declaring her love for him. The only thing that could possibly traumatise him more completely would be Nunnally's death. Kallen knew that if she hoped to get so much as a rejection out of him, she would need to own her attraction and be prepared to push her way back onto the right side of his walls.

"Maybe," Kallen said. Much to Reese's surprise, she added, "He's actually only a few months older than me."

"That's…unexpected."

' _Unexpected,' he says. Ha! That's not even half of it._ "There's something between us, but there was never time to explore it, and whenever we got close, someone would _always_ interrupt us. Worse, Kaguya insists on forming a harem centred around him. And don't even get me started on the witch. She does a bloody good sell on the mistress story, but I know boys. I've seen how _he_ reacts to that. He's never touched her. He just doesn't have control of her."

"Sounds frustrating. Who is this 'witch'?"

Kallen let out an exasperated sigh. "She goes by C.C.. I shared a flat with her for most of the past year. She's frustrating, and knows exactly how to push my buttons, and infuriates me in every conceivable way. She even tricked me into wearing a bunny girl costume! It would have made so much more sense for her to wear it, but no! _Of course_ it had to be _me_ , and now Le – Lulu is going to hold that over my head for the rest of my life. I'm _always_ the one put into compromising situations. Damn that woman! I despise her!"

Kallen slammed her fist on the table. She huffed, feeling just a little bit better, and then took a dainty bite from her lunch.

"She's also – and I absolutely hate to admit it – one of my closest friends. She's fun in her own way, unfairly competent in just about everything, and she always knows all the right questions to ask to help when she's not being difficult. No, _especially_ when she's being difficult. I completely understand why Lulu puts up with her" _besides the whole geass thing._ "I wouldn't want to banish her from my life either."

Reese hummed understandingly as he nodded. "I hope you realise that romance is hard enough to navigate in pairs. I know I have no right to tell you not to, but considering the complicating factors in your lives, be sure to take things slowly and communicate with each other. Trios are notoriously difficult to make work but supposedly very rewarding when they do."

It took three whole seconds for Kallen to parse her father's words. When she had, she nearly choked on her sandwich. After fighting it down with the aid of a glass of water, she stammered out, "W-w-what! What on Earth are you talking about?"

"I apologise if I misread the situation, but it sounded like–"

"It sounded like nothing!" Kallen interrupted. "Honestly! Why am I even talking about this with you? You bollocksed up your own family life so hard I'm surprised I can speak to you without retching."

"Language, dear."

Kallen scoffed.

"And like father, like daughter, I suppose."

Wincing at the gentle rebuke, Kallen let her head fall in shame. She had her own not insignificant part to play in the disaster that was their family. "Communicate, you say?"

"It does seem to be our common failing."

With a sigh, Kallen said, "I'll give what you said some thought, but I honestly don't believe I'm into women."

Reese shrugged and offered, "There does exist the concept of single-target sexuality. Or duo-target in this case. I don't believe I've heard of you giving anyone else so much as the time of day."

"I suppose that's true," Kallen reluctantly admitted. "I didn't come here to discuss the drama of my love life, though."

"True enough. Shall we retire to my study?"

Kallen stuffed the remainder of her lunch into her mouth and swallowed. "Let's."

Ten minutes later, Kallen and Reese had sequestered themselves in his study. There they enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace and the simple comfort of luxury chairs with an utterly decadent and divine cup of Britannian tea, an addiction Kallen had never fully been able to break.

"So?" Reese asked as he took his seat across from Kallen with his own tea in hand. "What brings you back ho…"

Kallen offered Reese a thin yet still genuinely apologetic smile. Now that she'd been here for a day, she found that she did, in fact, wish to mend fences. "You can call it home. I'm not going to start another screaming match with you, Dad. Zero gave me perspective and forced me to think about my beliefs. I'm…less prone to lashing out at convenient targets than I used to be."

"Thank you for telling me," Reese said with his own bright smile. "That means a lot to me."

Kallen chuckled. "Isn't communication wonderful?"

Reese shared in her self-deprecating laughter. "Indeed it is. So what brings you home?"

After hesitating a moment, Kallen said, "In hindsight, I realise you never reported me or Naoto and let us follow our own path."

"I did a little more than that," Reese interjected. "Your brother was absolutely hopeless when he first started his little resistance."

Kallen blinked in stunned silence at the revelation. Some part of her wondered if Naoto or Ohgi knew that. It would help explain why they had both endlessly insisted she go home and enjoy the good life. She ultimately pushed the thought aside with a simple, "Thank you," and then pressed on. "But I need to know how willing you are to keep my secrets."

"I swear on my honour and what little thread of trust I'm blessed enough for you to still have in me that I'll not repeat a word you say without your permission."

"Thank you." If there was one thing Kallen truly respected about Britannian culture, it was how seriously they took their vows. Oath breakers were the scum of the Earth, worse than even the French. "Um… This is a little awkward. I've never been through the official ceremony, but, well, let me properly name myself. That'll work. Uh, I guess this is a Britannian thing, so…I'm Dame Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Honour to Prince Lelouch vi Britannia."

It was Reese's turn to choke on his tea. He pounded his chest to get it down properly. "The Flash's son?"

Kallen nodded.

"'Lulu'?"

Ignoring her blush, Kallen nodded again. In her own defence, she said, "I don't actually call him that. That was Shirley's ridiculous pet name for him."

A brief flash of recognition passed over Reese's face a second later.

 _So he kept up with my life enough to know who my Britannian friends were._ Kallen sighed to herself. _Dad… We really screwed up this whole family thing, didn't we?_

"You're telling me that Zero is the eleventh prince?"

"Yeah. It's not exactly a secret anymore, but it's not public knowledge either."

A tumult of emotions played over Reese's face before he settled into affected laughter. In a rather weak attempt at humour, he said, "Well, at least I can tell everyone my heiress is marrying up."

Kallen let the jest pass without comment. Clearly, her father needed it. Then, suddenly, his mood darkened.

"Did your prince send you here for something?"

 _Huh? Oh, I understand what's wrong._ "No, I'm here of my own volition." That settled Reese's gloomy face. "That's actually the problem. I don't know where he is."

"What?"

"The Black Knights betrayed him a fortnight ago when Schneizel told them who he is. Without consulting me, I might add."

"Personally," Reese said, "I wouldn't expect them to ask for your support in a coup considering how close you are to Zero."

"True, except their mutiny left me as the only legitimate choice for the next leader of the Order."

Reese's eyes widened in surprise. Kallen said nothing to the revelation and merely shrugged it away before continuing.

"I don't know what their plan is with Zero gone, but those personally loyal to Lelouch started disappearing, so I got the hell out of Dodge, so to speak. I, well, I didn't really have anywhere else to go, and I need help getting back into contact with him."

"I'll do what I can," Reese said without hesitation. "You're welcome here for as long as you want, of course, but I don't know how I can help you find His Highness other than with funding."

"I actually know where he'll be. If not now, then soon." This was the real test of trust between Kallen and her father. "Are you aware that the emperor is missing? Wait, you mentioned that earlier."

"Indeed. You'd have to be living under a rock to…" The truth visibly struck Reese. "He's dead?"

"Yes." Kallen had checked, and her geass could no longer find the man. "With the Black Knights' betrayal and…other things, Lelouch went on a roaring rampage of revenge and succeeded."

Not missing a beat, Reese said, "And you believe he's going to make a play for the throne?"

"I have no doubt. He _loathes_ his father. He won't let the man's legacy endure."

"There's no way–"

Kallen interrupted immediately before the wrong opinion could anchor in Reese's head. "He can. I'm not going to explain why – you're going to have to trust me on this – but I _know_ he can take the throne. I need to get into the Imperial Palace. More specifically, I need to become a courtier so I can be there when it happens."

With a furrowing of his brow, Reese sunk into thought. He mumbled a few indistinct words to himself. Kallen clenched her hands as she waited for his response. She'd not been lying earlier. She really did have nowhere and no one else to go to. If he refused to help her, she was out of luck.

"Getting you to court won't be a problem."

"You'll help?" Kallen asked, almost afraid to believe it.

"I will. If this is what you want, then so be it. Regardless, I'd not want to otherwise start off my relationship with my new emperor and son-in-law so poorly by keeping you from him." Reese's eyes widened as he realised something. Then mostly to himself, he mumbled, "Oh, Minami, our daughter is going to be an empress. How did that come about?"

Kallen mentally swore to herself but said nothing. She'd actually not thought through what it would mean if she and Lelouch got together. Becoming the Empress Consort of Britannia was not where she'd expected life to take her. The idea physically sickened her somewhat.

Although, that said, there _was_ some appeal in the irony and the thought of being able to tear apart Britannian oppression from above. And now that Kallen considered the matter, she could laugh at Suzaku and gloat over this for years – decades, even – as he rotted away in a cell if the bastard unfortunately lived through his eventual capture. If she did end up as empress, then she would have brought his own plan to greater fruition than he could have ever hoped to primarily through the 'wrong way'. She could picture his face now; his reaction would be _sublime_.

"Okay," Reese said, "getting you _to_ court won't be a problem. I can simply escort you there. You could even go yourself. But someone _will_ recognise you as Kōzuki Karen. Getting around that won't be easy."

 _If only Sayoko were here._ "I've done infiltration work before," Kallen offered. "Nothing as high profile as the Imperial Palace, but I _have_ slipped past the OSI's watchful eye."

"Truly?" Reese asked in surprise. "You've certainly grown into a woman of many talents. Maybe we can make this work after all…"

* * *

 _ **Imperial Palace  
**_ _ **Pendragon, Britannia  
**_ _ **July 20, 2018 a.t.b.**_

" _You're_ a knight of honour?" the sceptical guard asked.

Kallen nodded with an easy smile. "I understand your confusion. I'm not officially on duty tonight," she explained, gesturing at her relatively impractical dress, although the guard's confusion likely stemmed from her deceptively delicate features. She did have a concealed pistol, just in case, as was her right to protect her prince. She'd been tempted to bring a sword as well to complete the image, but her father had strongly insisted that it clashed too much with her dress.

"Well, your credentials check out. Enjoy your evening, Madam."

"Thank you, and you as well. I'm sure tonight will be wonderful for us all."

And with that, Kallen stepped inside on her father's arm. With the recent death of Reese's publicly known wife, most would probably assume he was courting her as a young replacement. Despite the extreme squick the thought brought on, it was probably for the best. At the very least, no one would believe they were father and daughter. Kallen had learnt enough from Sayoko to craft a solid disguise. With waist length brunette hair, green eyes, some carefully applied makeup, and a significant difference in height, she looked almost nothing like her father.

Together, Kallen and Reese made their way through the halls toward court. There she knew she would finally be reunited with Lelouch. Her geass had told her of his arrival here days ago, and now after a month of absence from the public eye, the emperor had an announcement to make, much to the gathered courtiers' tentative relief. Too bad for them that they were expecting the wrong emperor.

As they walked, the gossip Kallen overheard only fuelled her eager anticipation.

"Didn't they say that the emperor went missing?"

"Bismarck is the one who reported it, and he isn't here himself…"

That was all the confirmation Kallen didn't need to know Lelouch was about to make his move. After a brief aside with her father, however, the tension in the muscles of his arm noticeably diminished as he relaxed slightly.

"As for Schneizel and the others, where are they?"

"No one knows. There's been no word from him or Marrybell yet."

 _So Schneizel isn't here. Figures._ That would be a problem later if Lelouch had yet to geass him, but it was not an immediate concern.

"His Majesty the emperor has arrived!"

Kallen perked up and turned her attention toward the throne. Trumpets blared. The audience stood just a little straighter. And then with slow, measured steps came exactly the man she'd expected.

 _Lelouch…_ Kallen then noticed his clothes. With Herculean strength, she resisted pinching the bridge of her nose. _Lelouch, why are you in your school uniform? You're claiming the throne, not displacing Milly from hers!_

With a shake of her head, Kallen pushed that thought aside. As the crowd murmured and whispered in confusion, she set about scanning the area for threats and guards. This was not going to end well. From what she gathered, Lelouch _probably_ had not geassed everyone here yet. Or if he had, then he intended to put on a show as a power move.

And there above the throne in the rafters lay in wait Kururugi Suzaku. Stunned, Kallen had _no idea_ what to make of that. Had Lelouch brought him here? Why? Even Lelouch had to realise by this point that Suzaku simply _could not be trusted_. If not, then Suzaku _needed_ to die before he could get to Lelouch. And even if Lelouch _had_ somehow allied with Suzaku, well, Kallen was not about to let herself be replaced with someone who _would_ stab Lelouch in the back sooner or later.

"Lord Stadtfeld," Kallen whispered. "Close your eyes, and _do not_ open them until I tell you otherwise. If you _must_ , _do not_ look at His Majesty."

"What? Why?"

"Now is not the time or place to explain."

Once Reese had hesitantly nodded – and Kallen hoped no one had overheard her – she turned her attention back to the ongoing proceedings.

"I killed the ninety-eighth Emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia," Lelouch proclaimed.

 _Called it._

Over the surprise and subdued objections of the crowd, Lelouch continued, "Thus, I will become the next emperor."

"What are you talking about? That's absurd!" Kallen recognised that voice. That sounded like that sadist of a princess, Carine.

The first princess, Guinevere, spoke next. "Take care of that fool!"

Four guards rushed into action, advancing toward the throne from across the room with the absolute strangest bayonets Kallen had ever seen in hand. They looked like the eldritch offspring between a spear and a rifle with functionality to match.

Regardless, this was the time to act. Kallen pushed her way out of the crowd into a clear firing range with pistol drawn.

And then Suzaku leapt from above as the guards closed in on Lelouch. This was a moment Kallen had dreamt of for nearly a year. This was her chance to finally kill the traitor. In context, he even looked as though he were about to assault Lelouch, although she was now certain her prince had brought him here to put on this little show. Indeed, there would never be a better time. He could try all he wanted, but he would never be able to dodge gunshots completely in free fall. Only one question remained: did she have enough time to kill him _and_ put the guards down?

Lelouch, of course, would have no trouble defending himself with his geass. It might even be to his benefit to simply command the guards to stand down. Everyone would realise then that _he_ was the one in control here. But that was apparently not his plan, or he would have done it by now. And without knowing exactly what his plan actually was, Kallen wanted to disrupt its course as little as possible, so she should at least try her best to kill all of the guards.

All these were thoughts Kallen _could_ have had and _would_ have in the seconds that followed. In the heat of the moment, however, it was justice for millions that cried out to her. It was the lost freedom of nations Suzaku had helped conquer that called for her to fire. It was revenge for stealing her prince from her that demanded his blood. It was retribution for everything he had put Lelouch through that required his life.

 _Goodbye, Suzaku._

Kallen fired her first shot and hit. Suzaku flumped to the ground in an ungraceful mess that certainly broke several bones and probably cracked his skull. If he _somehow_ yet lived, he would be in no position to prevent a coup de grâce after this was all over. As this happened, the four guards broke from their charge to turn in place to meet the potential new threat. Kallen quickly put down all four in their neat little row without effort.

Thus satisfied with a job well done, Kallen holstered her pistol and made her own approach to the throne at a dignified pace. The crowd looked on in silence, and even Lelouch, for one single moment, wore an expression of utter confusion before he schooled his features. His piercing violet eyes bore into her currently green pair, calculating, trying to understand what had just happened and how to salvage a situation in which he'd lost control.

As Kallen stepped over Suzaku, she gave him a good kick in the gut. As he made no significant noise, she supposed – but _did not assume_ and would be watching him – that he had finally, _finally_ died, and good riddance to bad rubbish. She took a knee and placed a fist over her heart.

"If there's one single solitary thing for which one can count on Sir Kururugi, Your Majesty, it's his betrayal of those closest to him."

Lelouch's eyes widened momentarily as he recognised Kallen's voice.

For good measure, Kallen spat, "Oath breaker," loud enough for the whole audience to hear. She then rose and took her place beside her prince. _Hmm, I suppose it's my emperor, now. I can work with that._

Despite the dramatic change in circumstances, Lelouch spoke with confidence and a casual tone that testified to how perfectly everything had just gone according to plan. Privately, in her newfound spirit of complete honesty with herself, Kallen admitted she found him terribly attractive in that moment.

"Allow me to introduce my knight, Lady Kallen Stadtfeld. Those among you who recognise her know her to be a warrior without peer. As such, I grant her the title 'Knight of Zero'."

Kallen snorted, amused. _Why not just tell the world you're Zero?_

A man Kallen recognised as the former crown prince Odysseus stepped forward. For being a so-called 'useless prince', she had to give him credit for being the only one brave enough – or perhaps foolish enough – to speak. "You can't do this, Lelouch, Lady Kallen. Pulling a joke like this on an international broadcast…"

Lelouch chuckled, Kallen smirked, and the former deigned to respond. "Do you think so? Let me make this easy for you all to understand." Lelouch stood with a dramatic flourish that left his geass free to do its work. "Acknowledge me as emperor!"

Whatever Odysseus had been about to say in response went unheard as Lelouch's command went to work on the crowd. Within moments, the tide had turned. From the audience came one voice, then two, and then by the dozen until well over one-thousand joined in the chorus.

"All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Kallen noticed a patch of lime green. She turned her head just slightly to spot C.C. watching the ceremony backstage with a smirk on her face that looked, Kallen dared to think, both approving and actually happy.

 _So she wasn't on board with the whole Suzaku thing either. Good to know it'll be two against one when Lelouch confronts me after this._

For the moment, however, Kallen brushed all concerns aside and basked in the feeling of having simply _won_.

* * *

"Do you have any idea what you've done!"

Kallen had stood impassive as Lelouch yelled at her. Now that he'd actually asked a question for her to respond to, though, she deadpanned, "Saved your life?"

"That was entirely the point!"

Kallen quirked an eyebrow.

"Suzaku was supposed to kill me!" Lelouch said only slightly less hysterically.

Kallen turned her questioning look onto C.C..

"Their brilliant plan was for Lelouch to become the universally reviled ruler of the world and have Suzaku, as Zero, slay him, thus ending the cycle of hatred and granting the world a little peace for a time while dooming Suzaku to a job he'll despise. Thus they atone for both their sins."

"I see," Kallen said plainly. "And you went along with this plan?"

C.C. shrugged. "It wasn't my place to object." Just before Kallen unleashed her temper on the woman, C.C. winked without Lelouch noticing, and that brought her up short.

 _Okay, so she knows something that Lelouch doesn't. Interesting._

Lelouch interrupted the aside, saying, "What am I supposed to do now? I can't make _you_ be Zero for the rest of your life."

"And why not?" Knowing that C.C. had something up her sleeve, Kallen decided to have a little fun with Lelouch. With any luck, she could knock him so off balance that he might actually listen to her. "Do you think _I_ can't do the job? Suzaku's only idea of strategy is attack, attack, attack, he never thinks ahead, and his ethical system is revolting. I mean seriously. His plan was to become the Knight of One to protect Japan. What happens to it when he dies? When the emperor finally kicks the bucket? Did he ever care to find out how little time Bismarck spent playing king? What about every other area who wouldn't have a benevolent despot? What incentive would it give Britannia to change and adopt his model of colonialism? Did he really think his plan would work long term?"

"You're ranting, Your Majesty," C.C. said.

So she was. "Indeed, I am. Thank you, Witch. So then, Lelouch. When you know I'm perfectly capable, when you know I've actually led the Order longer than you, if not as well, why, then, would you leave it in Suzaku's hands and not mine?"

With much reluctance, Lelouch begrudgingly admitted, "Because I want you to be happy. The role of Zero is a curse."

 _That…isn't the answer I expected._ But it was certainly the answer Kallen had wanted. "Alright. My dad recently explicitly spelt out to me that I need to work on my communication–"

"Your dad?" Lelouch mumbled in surprise.

"–so let me be clear. Part of my happiness is predicated on you being happy. If that's with me, wonderful. If not, I'm a big girl and can get over romantic rejection."

"My my, so forward."

Kallen pounced immediately and said, "Shut it, C.C.. You're next." She turned her attention back onto Lelouch. "Either way, I want you to live. And we're getting you to a therapist. If needed, we'll look into antidepressants. Your suicide will make me very _un_ happy and would devastate Nunnally, so you will not commit such an act. Understood?"

Without a word and completely at a loss, Lelouch slowly nodded.

"Good. And _you_." Kallen turned on C.C.. "I despise you, and you're the worst flatmate to ever exist." She them immediately pulled C.C. by the collar into a kiss. For perhaps the first time ever, she'd managed to surprise the witch. That only lasted for a moment, however, before C.C. chuckled and returned the gesture with more passion than Kallen was prepared for.

Once the kiss ended, a dazed Kallen mumbled, "I hate my dad." He'd not been entirely wrong, it seemed. "I could get used to that."

Smirking, C.C. returned, "You're not half bad yourself. It's been awhile since I last embraced a woman, but I certainly remember how. I'd ask if you have experience, but we both know you've been holding out for your prince."

With a scoff, Kallen said, "Who else would I hold out for? Tamaki? Gino? You? Please."

C.C. chuckled, and her eyes turned toward the only other person in the room. "Oh, look," she stated rather blandly. "I think we broke him."

It was true. Lelouch's mouth hung open, probably from shock more than anything else, but Kallen could run with it nonetheless.

"Well, it's good to know he's a healthy, virile male after all. I'd been getting a little worried, to be honest."

"I know, right?" C.C. said, affecting the speech of a normal teenager to poor – but hilarious – effect. "I stole his bed every night, and he never had the guts to reclaim even half for himself."

"Oh? While that greatly assures me of his potential for fidelity, unlike his father, that worries me in other ways."

"Quite. Hmm… We're going to need to find another code bearer. The prat refuses to let me die in peace, so I demand that you share the curse of immortality with us."

 _Us?_ Kallen looked at Lelouch who appeared to be processing the very same thing. She reached the right conclusion a little faster, though, as she said, "Well, that explains why you didn't object to his plan."

"Indeed. I believe I can tolerate this endless series of experiences called life with the right company."

"Wait. Stop," Lelouch said, finally finding his voice again. "There are more code bearers?"

"One for each Thought Elevator," C.C. said, for once volunteering information. Not that Kallen knew what a Thought Elevator was. "My code is connected to the one in Antarctica. Yours is connected to the one in the UK."

"But I thought we destroyed the entire Directorate. Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"We did," C.C. replied. "The other code bearers I've met are recluses who rarely make contracts."

"That's…acceptable," Lelouch bit out. "For now. And the others?"

C.C. shrugged. "Kallen needs a code, so target one of them first. And you need to die before you grow old and wrinkled. I don't care how useful your geass is. I'm not into that, and I doubt your queen feels differently."

Choosing her words carefully because much of what had been said she could only guess at the meaning of, Kallen replied, "Under the assumption that his death…activates…his immortality" – and wasn't that a contradiction in terms – "then I agree. I wouldn't mind a little more muscle on him before then, though, if he can't gain it after?"

"Oh, good point," C.C. admitted. "You're wise beyond your years, Kallen. The real question, though, is do we want to minimise or maximise the scar tissue? However he dies, some of that damage will linger forever."

"Hmm… Tough call. I'm inclined toward minimisation, just in case, but imagine if he had a long scar over one eye from his hairline down to his jaw."

C.C. stared at Lelouch, who was absolutely out of his depth, with a contemplative expression. "It _does_ add a hint of danger and mystery. I like."

And at this point, Lelouch was clearly done with the whole affair. He spun on a foot toward the door with nothing more than a muttered, "Women."

As he left, C.C. called out, "I'll just make a contract with Kallen, then, or will you?"

Lelouch said, "You do it!" and slammed the door behind him.

"Well, congratulations are in order," C.C. said. "I do believe that was a marriage proposal."

Kallen rolled her eyes, but she couldn't dispute that Lelouch would have shot the very idea down long ago if he objected. "I'm surprised he still doesn't know I already have a geass. I guess I don't use it that much and it's not obvious when I do, but still. Regardless, are we bad people for doing that to him?"

"No. He needed that kick in the arse. He should be fine now. If nothing else, he has a purpose hunting the other code bearers to strive for. It's not much of a replacement for his sister and his revenge, but it'll do until we sink our claws into him."

"If you say so. So that was the wish you wanted him to grant, then? To kill you?"

C.C. nodded. "For a code bearer to die, someone else has to take their code. For you to take a code and become immortal, you'll need a fully matured geass."

"Ah. And how do I make that happen?"

"Just keep using it," C.C. said. "Eventually, it'll activate permanently and then spread to your other eye. You'll be ready then."

"Sounds easy enough." Kallen knew she would be busy in the coming months and using it often to hunt down Lelouch's enemies in the empire, so no extra effort would likely need to be made. _Too bad I can't locate code bearers with my geass. That would make everything much easier._

* * *

 _ **Imperial Palace  
**_ _ **Pendragon, Britannia  
**_ _ **October 15, 2018 a.t.b.**_

"Your Majesty!"

Mildly curious, Kallen idly scanned the space behind her for Lelouch as she walked. She'd thought he was busy preparing a horrifying week long lecture for her on negotiation for the coming UFN summit, not wandering about the Imperial Palace's halls.

"Your Majesty," the voice came again, closer now. This time, though, Kallen understood just who it addressed and paused a few seconds to allow the woman hurriedly pacing toward her to catch up.

"My apologies," Kallen said. "I'm still adjusting to being empress. It took me a moment to realise you were addressing me and not my husband."

"No apologies necessary. I understand. It took me some time to readjust to being referred to as 'Your Highness' as well when I returned to the imperial family."

And that left only one possible choice for who this woman was. Kallen had never met her, but she had heard of her. "You must be Princess Marrybell, then."

"Just Marrybell is fine. We're sisters now, after all."

Kallen snorted, recalling how enthusiastic Nunnally had been about that, and resisted the urge to snark. "That's true. Kallen, then."

"As you wish. Is it true? Did Lelouch really kill the emperor?"

That question immediately put Kallen on her guard. Marrybell had _not_ been at court the day Lelouch had claimed the throne and was thus not compelled to acknowledge his rule. They'd not gone out of their way to correct that since she'd been cooperative and her background suggested they'd done her a favour in offing the emperor, but she behaved far too much like a female Lelouch to be sure of her loyalties.

"He did," Kallen neutrally replied. "Why do you ask?"

Marrybell swore under her breath. " _I_ wanted to do it. I'd hoped… Oh, nevermind. I suppose he's dead and that's all that really matters."

"I…see…" That was more or less the answer Kallen had expected but far more bluntly put than she'd imagined. "I would apologise on Lelouch's behalf, but I doubt he would have let anyone else do the deed."

"I certainly understand that. I'll have to ask him to share the details with me sometime. I want to hear _everything_."

"It _is_ an intriguing tale. I'd have not believed it myself if anyone else had told me." _Well, maybe except for C.C. if she were in one of her rare serious moods._

"I can believe more than you might expect. There are strange things in the world."

"Oh? Such as?"

Before Marrybell could answer, C.C. came out of nowhere and clamped a hand around Marrybell's neck. The princess's eyes shot open as she let out a blood-curdling scream. She passed out a second later and collapsed into C.C.'s arms.

Stunned, Kallen weakly asked, "What was that for?"

"She has a geass." C.C. locked her arms underneath Marrybell's. "Grab her legs."

"Uh, right."

Quickly and silently, the pair disappeared into the less travelled sections of the Imperial Palace with Marrybell in tow. Once they found a quiet room to themselves, Kallen called Lelouch to come join them as soon as possible. She then bound Marrybell to a chair using whatever was on hand. Once all that was done, she relaxed and started sending out emails cancelling her appointments for the day while C.C. observed their prisoner.

Sometime later, Lelouch finally entered the room. He took in the scene for a moment. Then, at last, he deadpanned, "Kinky."

Kallen rolled her eyes.

"You know, I accept that you two sometimes have fun with without me, but Kallen, you can't tie up other women just because C.C. won't let you top."

"Lelouch," Kallen deadpanned, "have I reminded you yet today that you're insufferable?"

Without even hesitating, Lelouch continued, "And my sister, too. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in incest."

"Git!"

Marrybell chose this moment to groan and awaken.

* * *

 _ **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11 (Disputed)  
**_ _ **November 22, 2018 a.t.b.**_

"Lastly, you just need to keep in mind that the goal isn't to integrate Britannia into the UFN. The only terms it's likely to accept naturally are not in the best interests of our country. We don't want to have to quell an endless series of revolts – putting down most of the Rounds was quite enough already – and I won't be able to change the representatives' minds for you."

Kallen chuckled. "It _is_ rather obvious when you've used your geass." Absolute Submission left the victim a mindless husk suited only for obeying orders. Even when commanded to behave normally, the victim acted noticeably off to casual observers. The only indisputable and absolutely necessary target Lelouch had in mind to subject to it was Schneizel. The man was too dangerous for liberty but too useful and well known to simply kill.

Kallen briefly activated her geass to confirm once more that Schneizel was, in fact, still waiting for them at the summit. He'd yet to show himself in public, but he was definitely there.

"If you can obtain favourable terms to join the UFN, then seize them with both hands. Ultimately, though, your goal should only be to establish that we want an end to this endless war and that we intend to continue and expand Lelouch's progressive policies. The matter of Japan is likely to be at the top of their agenda, but it's not on ours."

It felt more than a little weird to have to represent Britannian interests first, but Kallen idly nodded at the reminder. She'd accepted what being empress meant when she'd married Lelouch and put an end to his theatrical plans to redeem their empire.

"Are you ready?"

Kallen took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Marrybell. You're the best."

The woman in question snapped her notebook shut and placed it aside. "I don't know about that, but you're welcome."

"Hmm?" Kallen turned a questioning eyebrow onto Marrybell at her melancholic tone. "Is something wrong?"

"No, just…" Marrybell sighed. "I miss Oldrin. I drove her away acting like my bloody father, and now who knows where she is."

Comforting others was not something Kallen had much experience in, but she placed a gentle hand on Marrybell's arm and said, "She'll come back. You work directly for the 'Emperor of Justice' under the 'White Queen' now. How could she say no to that?"

"I suppose," Marrybell said. She managed a wistful smile. "Stranger things have happened. I certainly never imagined the Red Death would be my empress."

Kallen snorted. "You and me both, sister." After a moment, she added, "Bloody cool moniker, though. I wish I'd known you Brits called me that before."

"Says the aristocratic, half-blooded Empress of Britannia," came Marrybell's wry retort.

"Yeah, yeah." Kallen waved the rebuke off. "I'll keep such comments private. I know how to behave myself in public."

At long last, their ride from the airport came to a stop at the main gates of Ashford Academy where Lelouch had insisted the UFN summit with Britannia take place. According to him, he owed the Ashfords the positive publicity.

As their chauffeur opened the door for them, Kallen said, "Let's do this."

The gathered crowd was truly massive. There had to be tens of thousands of people present, Japanese and Britannian in equal number with a few other stray ethnicities sprinkled throughout. Kallen waved politely to her audience as she walked onto campus.

"Kallen!"

Surprised, Kallen turned in the direction of the voice calling her name. There atop the barricade preventing the crowd from entering campus with one leg straddling each side sat Rivalz of all people.

 _How on Earth did he even get that far? The Black Knights must be slacking without Lelouch and I to crack the whip._

"Do you know him?" Marrybell asked.

"Yeah, we served on the student council here together." Before Rivalz could get himself into serious trouble by fully passing the cordon, Kallen mimed a phone with her hand, silently promising to call him later. She did have an important meeting to get to, after all. Hopefully, he got the message. If not, she was the Empress of Britannia with a geass specifically for finding people. She could get him out of whatever trouble he got into when she had some free time. "He's a good guy, if a bit of a pushover."

"Good friends are hard for us to come by. Keep in contact with him."

"I'm well aware," Kallen bitterly said. One of her 'friends' was waiting to escort her and Marrybell not a hundred paces further down the way.

Ohgi's frown slowly intensified as Kallen approached. When they were finally within speaking distance of each other, he said, "Kallen, what–" only for Marrybell to immediately cut him off.

"You will address Her Majesty as Empress Kallen. Or with the appropriate honorifics in Japanese which I leave to Her Majesty's discretion." Despite Kallen's and Lelouch's valiant attempt, the nuances of the language remained beyond Marrybell's grasp.

Aghast, Ohgi asked, "Is she serious, Kallen?"

"General Secretary Ohgi," Kallen began, barely restraining her anger, "or whatever your title is now, your Britannian envoy is already furious with you and _your_ organisation. I would highly suggest you not drag your personal relationship with her into your work unless you wish to start this summit with the new Britannian regime publicly and physically demonstrating its _displeasure_ with the Black Knights rather than the unity stemming from one of your own marrying Britannia's emperor."

Ohgi looked about to try once more, but a combined glare from both Kallen and Marrybell got him to rethink his decision. After a brief staring contest, he relented. "Very well, Your Majesty. Perhaps there will be time to speak tonight. Please follow me to the auditorium."

* * *

"Hmm… So this is where Lelouch lived when he was in hiding?" Marrybell asked as she poked around in the Lamperouge flat within the student council building.

"Nunnally, too."

"I did notice the modifications for wheelchairs to the building's structure. Do you know her well?"

"Almost as well as I do Lelouch. Why do you ask?"

Marrybell pursed her lips and mulled over her answer. "The last time I spoke with her, her vocabulary contained at most a few hundred words."

Kallen put a hand to her mouth and laughed lightly. "I'd be glad to share stories with you sometime."

"I'd appreciate it. Which room is mine?"

"Hmm… You can take Sayoko's room tonight," Kallen said. "I'll take Lelouch's. Remind me tomorrow morning that he asked me to grab a few things while we're here."

"Sure."

"Thanks. Do you know how to cook?"

Marrybell slowly turned to look at Kallen and quirked an eyebrow. "I imagine I could boil water and follow directions if there's something in the kitchen that hasn't expired."

"Okay, princess," Kallen said sarcastically. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Marrybell. "That's the delivery address for this building if you need it. Most takeaway nearby will know exactly what you mean if you simply say 'Ashford'."

"Good to know."

A knock came at the door.

"I bet we both know who that is," Marrybell said in obvious distaste. "Do you want me to make myself scarce or stick around?"

Kallen breathed deeply to rein in her anger and let it all out in an exasperated sigh. "I'd better do this myself. I don't need them accusing you of being my handler in my supposed thralldom. I _know_ the Black Knights don't properly understand how unfair and broken Lelouch's geass is, or they wouldn't have turned on him. They're lucky he buys into his own lies about justice and ethics so much."

Rolling her eyes, Marrybell said, "I'm quite sure you've just said something logically inconsistent."

"Yes, but everything Lelouch says and does is a lie, only sometimes it falls in line with his long-term behaviour."

Marrybell laughed. As a parting comment, she offered, "I'm so glad it's not me who's married to him."

 _Indeed, it can be frustrating to understand Lelouch at times, but he's still mine._ Regardless, now that she was alone, Kallen turned her attention to her 'guest' who knocked again but more insistently this time.

As soon as the door was open, Ohgi said, "We need to talk."

Kallen replied, "No, you _want_ to talk. _My_ life would continue along just fine if I punched you in the face and then slammed the door."

"Must you be so difficult?"

"Yes!" Kallen bit out. Nearly growling now, she continued, "You _threatened to kill me_ if I didn't stand aside and _let_ you execute one of my closest friends, someone to whom, may I remind you, I'm now _married_. I believe I'm understandably a little upset. Also, if you'll recall, it just so happens to be that very same man who tempered my directionless thirst for vengeance and reforged it into a principled determination to see justice done. Oh, and guess who's not here right now to see me regress."

Somehow genuinely shocked – whether he believed Kallen enslaved or not, he should have seen this coming – Ohgi said, "Wha – what? You wouldn't. You couldn't."

"Couldn't? I've killed _a lot_ of people better than you. Wouldn't? No, I wouldn't. The Empress of Britannia executing summary justice on one of the leaders of the Black Knights wouldn't go over well no matter how deserved. Then again, if I find my brother-in-law, I bet he could convince you to do it yourself."

Noticing one of Ohgi's nervous tics, Kallen activated her geass and started searching for the location of the Black Knights who would probably know about Lelouch's geass. "I'm not going to sit before an inquisition, Ohgi. Who is 'we'?"

"Just the usual brass plus Schneizel and Cornelia."

 _And so opportunity knocks._ From what Kallen could tell, Ohgi was being honest as well. "I see. And what exactly do you intend to do with me after this…talk."

"We don't know, Kallen. We have a lot of suspicions and guesswork, but we haven't decided anything yet."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Honestly. We were expecting Lelouch to come and attempt to use his geass," Ohgi said. "We only found out a week ago you were coming instead. That has us even more worried."

Kallen shook her head. Not interested in debating with Ohgi, she said, "I was the obvious choice of representative. For many reasons. Has Schneizel requested political asylum?"

"No? But naturally, he's declared Lelouch a usurper. I'm sure he will if you demand he return to Britannia with you."

With a Herculean effort, Kallen buried her smirk and deactivated her geass. "No, no, that's fine. I just needed to know what I'm walking into. What about Cornelia?"

"I don't think so."

"Alright. One moment, please."

Kallen stepped further into Lelouch's flat and quickly found Marrybell.

"Done already?" Marrybell asked.

Kallen shook her head. "Change of plans. Schneizel and Cornelia are part of the group asking for me, and neither has requested asylum yet."

"Thus anything we do to Schneizel is no one's business but Britannia's," Marrybell concluded. "Very well. Do you and Lelouch want me to geass Cornelia as well?"

"Well…" Kallen was aware that Cornelia had once, long ago, been one of Lelouch's favourite sisters. _Perhaps not._ _But then again_ , "Jeremiah has a geass canceller, so you might as well grab her. We can decide what to do with her later."

"Does he really?" After Kallen nodded, Marrybell said, "Then I have far fewer reservations about using my geass in the future. Please lead the way, Kallen, and let's bring an end to our domestic disputes."

"Let's."

Over Ohgi's objections and protest that they really wanted to speak to Kallen alone, the pair made their way back to the auditorium with a reluctant Ohgi escorting them. Once inside, they found there had been no last minute additions that Ohgi hadn't known about. About one round table sat Tohdoh, Diethard, Rakshata, Xingke, Tamaki for some reason, a few others, and the expected prince and princess with three available chairs, one for Ohgi and another for Kallen. The last should be for–

"Kallen!"

Said woman grunted as Kaguya crashed into her.

"My fellow court lady, you have to tell me everything! Is he everything we always dreamt of?"

Kallen rolled her eyes. Apparently she still had one friend of some variety left here. "Good evening, Kaguya. It's good to see you, too."

Before anyone else could say anything, Marrybell spoke. "Well, well. If it isn't my dear older brother and sister. I'd say I'm surprised to see you here, but I'm really not. I'll kindly ask you not to speak unless spoken to."

"Of course," Schneizel immediately conceded as Cornelia said, "Understood."

 _Well, that was easy. Imagine if Lelouch had come here instead and they'd stayed hidden. Man, would_ that _have cost a lot of lives! They almost certainly have all of our missing FLEIJA warheads in their possession._ After a moment of reflection, Kallen added, _But I suppose we'll have to see what contingency plans Schneizel left in place before celebrating. Still, this was probably all according to plan for Lelouch._

"Shall we get started, then?" Kallen asked. She took her seat to a general chorus of agreement. Marrybell refused a chair herself, instead opting to stand beside Kallen where she could more easily use her geass if necessary or take martial action. Kallen was the obvious danger, but Marrybell was just as deadly.

"Schneizel," Marrybell began, "will this conversation be recorded?"

"No."

A smirk grew on Kallen's face. She'd hoped that would be the case. She'd spent no small amount of time preparing for this encounter, and she intended to enjoy it. She ditched the posture expected of an empress in favour of a villainous slouch upon her makeshift throne.

"Alright," Kallen said, "this is where I gloat over the success of my evil plan to become the ruler of Britannia while setting Lelouch up for the fall with no one ever believing any of you."

In a very satisfying moment, the single response Kallen received was stunned looks and half-formed words expressing surprise.

"You see," Kallen continued, "ever since I was a young girl, I've always wanted to be the empress regnant. It was my dream. Alas, but I was merely the heiress to an earl and nowhere near the imperial line of succession. I knew that to take my rightful place, I would need a prince to pass the throne to me the way Elizabeth the Third did for Ricardo von Britannia.

"Enter Lelouch. I first met him at this very academy when he and I were twelve. I knew right away, of course, who he was. His mother, Marianne the Flash, was the emperor's favourite consort. Before her unexpected death, Lelouch was to be my primary target for a husband. Of everyone who might inherit the throne, I knew it would be him. And I was right, just not in the manner I expected, but that comes later in this story.

"For five years, I subtly stoked Lelouch's obsession with revenge against his father and his mother's killer while I honed my own skills. Ruling through conquest felt so much more satisfying than simply inheriting the throne. It's in my blood, after all, and Lelouch, to my delight, was truly gifted in both war and politics. Everything was going according to plan.

"Then came Shinjuku. I met C.C. and discovered the wonderful power geass held. Unfortunately, mine was of only minor use for warfare, but Lelouch's – oh, Lelouch's was _wonderful_. It opened so many doors and sped up so many plans, and he knew just how, when, and more importantly, when _not_ to use it without any prompting required. To be honest, I'm seriously considering settling for being merely empress consort, because I would miss my husband dearly.

"Regardless, the Black Rebellion was where I made my first true mistake. I didn't keep a watchful enough eye on Nunnally, and _of course_ that siscon husband of mine gave chase when his uncle abducted her. The failure of that revolution was entirely my fault.

"However, the then emperor's hubris knew no bounds. He used Lelouch as bait to lure C.C. out and gave me a second chance, one which I firmly grasped and refused to let go. I admit that there were a few bumps along the way, but everything worked out for me in the end thanks to a few contingency plans I'd set in place and my success at worming my way into Lelouch's heart.

"The Black Knights' betrayal _almost_ ruined everything, but Lelouch and I had one last gambit to execute, and we succeeded while inadvertently saving the world from Ragnarök in the process. He took the throne, I married him, and that brings our story to a close for now."

Kallen gave her stunned audience a bright, innocent smile with just the slightest hint of pride and condescension peeking through. She played with her expression until she felt she perfectly displayed how she was humouring the pathetic plebs before her underneath her outwardly pleasant demeanour.

 _I really wish I could take a picture of this and not break the spell._

After the silence had stretched on long enough that Kallen had almost lost the fight against her laughter, Tohdoh was the first to speak. "No offence, Field Marshall, but I don't believe a word of that."

Kallen slowly raised an eyebrow. "If we're using titles, General, it's Empress Kallen. And why not? It's an equally valid hypothesis that I'm the evil puppetmaster behind the Black Knights as my husband. After all, it's not like Lelouch used magic to command any of you to follow or otherwise obey him. You could never have turned on him if so."

No one's opinion seemed particularly swayed by that argument. Kaguya glared at her coworkers – which was neither new nor unexpected – and Rakshata remained aloof, but the others merely looked annoyed. It hardly mattered, though. Kallen had not come here expecting to convince anyone of anything, and she'd already gained more than she'd imagined with the acquisition of the two royals across the table.

"That's hardly his only crime!" Ohgi said, slamming his fist on the table.

"But the girl does have a point," Rakshata idly commented. "We actually know very little about either Zero's or Kallen's off-the-books missions. All we have are suppositions from observing the results and a few testimonies without context that sound bad."

 _Thank you, Rakshata, for being a critical thinker._

"So what?" Ohgi said. "Lelouch already confessed to everything. He even admitted he was just using us. Explain that, Kallen."

"No." Kallen had no intention of revealing Lelouch's secrets to anyone, especially not to those who had betrayed him _and her_ when _they_ had needed _him_ most. "I don't have to explain anything to you. Let me be clear. You are not Lelouch's judge. You are not his jury. If you want to subject my husband to an international tribunal, go ahead and try. If you can get your case past 'magical powers' without being laughed out on your collective arses, we'll be there. If you can get whatever hearsay you have entered into evidence, we'll consider giving an explanation. If you want to publicly admit that Lelouch is Zero, the man who brought the world peace and reformed Britannia through whatever means were available to him, and then try to convict him anyway–" Kallen scoffed. "Good luck with that.

"If anyone who took part in the mutiny wants to offer an apology for considering murdering me just for standing in the way of a summary execution, I'll be around." Kallen stood up. "Kaguya, Rakshata, you're welcome to visit me anytime. Now if you don't mind, I think I'm going to go rest so I can get on with fixing the world tomorrow."

As Kallen turned to leave, Marrybell added, "Schneizel, Cornelia, please come with. We can have a little family reunion and discuss what your plans are."

* * *

A knock came at the door to the Lamperouge flat. Groaning and just not wanting to get up from where she'd collapsed on Lelouch's bed, Kallen called out, "Marrybell, could you get that!"

A minute later, Kaguya came into the room. "Hello again," she said with her usual boundless energy.

"Hello, Kaguya. Please tell me you aren't here to continue the inquisition."

"Well, I have a few questions that I'd personally like answered strictly off the record, but mostly I'm here to gossip."

"I see. Ask your questions, I suppose, but if I don't answer, please don't ask again."

"Can do. First question, then. What do you plan to do with C.C. when you become empress regnant? And is there room for me?"

Kallen couldn't help herself. After politicking all day and the confrontation an hour ago, she burst into laughter. Between breaths, she managed, "I'm going to keep her shackled in my bedchamber, of course, and hope the chains can hold her."

"Naturally," Kaguya said with a nod.

"Oh, wow. I needed that. Thank you, Kaguya."

The girl merely smiled serenely in reply.

"As to your other question, were you serious?"

"I certainly wouldn't mind," Kaguya said. "I also realise that dismantling the Britannian empire isn't as easy as simply declaring all the areas free. Japan would make a lovely wedding gift."

"That it would. It would make things a lot simpler, too. I can't believe _I'm_ making this argument, but Japan is the Jewel of the Empire. Letting it go not even three months into Lelouch's reign when we really have no reason to would present…complications."

"You're avoiding my question," Kaguya observed, "which I suppose is an answer in and of itself."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I understand, and I saw my loss coming long ago, although I _was_ surprised that you and C.C. officially married each other as well."

Kallen shrugged. "I didn't see that coming either. Both the relationship and the marriage. Legal same-sex marriage in Britannia was _long_ overdue, though. That was trivial legislation to push through."

With a giggle, Kaguya said, "Remind me again what the record number of wives and husbands for a single person was."

"Heh. Both are over four-thousand, I think. But abusing Britannia's polygamy laws, while hilarious, were logistical nightmares. It's better this way."

"I'd imagine your divorce rates have gone rather pear-shaped recently."

"I'm confident we decided not to care this year or the next."

"A wise decision," Kaguya said with a sage nod.

A moment passed in comfortable silence.

"Kallen, I apologise in advance if this upsets you, but what will you tell me in confidence about…anything?"

With a protesting grunt, Kallen pushed herself upright. She scooted to lean back against the headboard and gestured for Kaguya to take the other end of the bed.

"In complete confidence?" Kallen asked.

Kaguya nodded. "I swear I won't say a word to anyone."

"What do you want to know?"

After a moment, Kaguya admitted, "I think the only question that I _should_ ask as the UFN chairwoman but don't _need_ to as a woman is if Lelouch is sincere in the direction he's taking Britannia."

"He is. He had far more radical plans before, some of which involved taking over the world, but I forced his hand down this route."

"Hmm… I'm not sure if I should thank you for that or not given the confidence I have in him."

"Thank me," Kallen plainly stated. "His first choice would have culminated in his death."

"Ah. Thank you indeed, then. The world would be a far less interesting place without Lelouch."

"And far less…satisfying." Kaguya giggled as Kallen smirked. "Anything else you want to know?"

"What really caused the SAZ Massacre?"

With a shrug, Kallen said, "Depends on who you believe. Personally, I trust C.C. on this more than Lelouch. From what she tells me, Lelouch made a bad joke and his uncle had a hate-boner for the vi Britannias."

Kaguya quirked an eyebrow. Of all the points she could object to, she said, "You mentioned him before. I wasn't aware that Lelouch has an uncle."

"Had," Kallen corrected. "He had one. The emper – er, the previous emperor, that is, killed the bastard months ago, and the world is far better off for it."

"Good. I think that's all the boring questions I had."

 _Boring?_

"Now time for the important ones. How good was your first time!"

Kallen chuckled. "It was the best disappointing experience of my life. I had no idea what I was doing. Lelouch had no idea what he was doing. But I'd be a liar if I said I didn't enjoy it. Then C.C. stopped teasing us and joined in, and she knew _exactly_ what she was doing."

"Ha! She always knew how to get Lelouch to do exactly what she wanted. Should I assume the same here?"

"She played him like a fiddle."

Kaguya snickered and asked, "And you too?"

"No comment," Kallen said, blushing.

"Oh, come on! You simply _must_ tell me about it."

* * *

 **French Refugee Hostel  
** **Moscow, Russia  
** **May 6, 2016 a.t.b.**

Lelouch awoke to find Kallen squirming in place next to him on their bed and letting out very suggestive moans. Part of him wanted to keep watching the performance, but the larger part of him promptly decided to preserve her dignity and wake her.

"Hmm… What is it?" Kallen mumbled.

With a smirk, Lelouch said, "I believe you were dreaming of me."

It took Kallen's sleep addled mind a few seconds to process that. Once it had, her face erupted into a blush. She promptly elbowed him in the gut and said, "In your dreams."

"Yours, actually."

"Oh, be quiet. It wasn't anything like that. It was…weird."

"I'm not sure I want to know what kinks you're into," Lelouch said.

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Will you be mature already? I told you it wasn't that kind of dream. "

"Uh-huh."

"I didn't even understand half of what was going on. Argh, I wish I could remember my dreams better. What's…Ragnarök?"

"Twilight of the Gods." Lelouch yawned and settled back into bed. He'd had his fun and done his duty. It was time to get back to sleep. "Norse. Unpopular back home."

"Thanks. That's really unhelpful. We were…rebels, I think? There were black knights… I think I killed Suzaku? I remember Marrybell was my assistant for…something."

"Mhm…"

"We were married."

"Sounds nice," Lelouch mumbled sleepily.

Kallen giggled quietly. "To C.C.."

"Lucky witch."

Another giggle. Then more solemnly, Kallen said, "Euphie and Naoto were dead."

"Just a dream."

"Was it, though?" Kallen whispered more insistently and barely audibly. "I'm a prophetess. I keep having weird dreams. Two and two makes four."

"Just a dream."

"I predict deaths!" Kallen hissed.

"Are you right now?"

A moment passed in which Kallen surely activated her geass. "No. But what if my foresight is longer in my sleep?"

"Unlikely. But if so, then we have all the more time to change it. Years, probably."

"Oh." Kallen fell silent for a second. "I… I think I'm being silly."

"Quite. Sleep now?"

Kallen easily nodded, although she did snuggle closer in the process. Not that Lelouch was complaining. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The next morning, the worries of the night before would slip away and lie forgotten as nothing more than an ephemeral dream.

* * *

Three beds down in the same room as Kallen and Lelouch, C.C. frowned. It was far too much fun using her code to mess with those two, but Kallen speaking of Ragnarök raised more than a few warning flags in her mind. If she had to guess, some of her own memories must have been mixed into her latest prank. If she did this again, she'd have to be more careful.

* * *

 **A/N:** This was not supposed to come out as a Lelouch/Kallen/C.C. ship, but it happened as Kallen ranted at her father about the latter, and I had little reason to object to the development. Remember, as mentioned far above, the ships presented here are independent of the the main story's romantic endgame.

Anyway, this omake originally started at the betrayal and ended when Kallen and Lelouch got together. But then I had to write Kallen's evil monologue, and after that, the first half of this omake happened, so I needed to write bridging material. This probably should have been a three part omake, but 30k words was already stretching good taste for a what if side story. That's practically the length of R0! As such, I'm calling it here. There will probably be more omakes in the future, but not until well into R2.

At any rate, the next stage is already in progress. It will probably be done in early to mid Feburary depending on how quickly I can fully understand Leila's character.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	20. R1 S17 - Light the Fire

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 17 - Light the Fire

 **Moscow–Saint Petersburg Motorway  
** **Northwestern Province, Russia  
** **May 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

"You're going to love the Tsvetochnyye Skaly when you get there. The view is amazing in spring."

"I'm sure we will, Victor," Lelouch said. A jolt of pain shot through his leg as Kallen shifted in her sleep. He carefully repositioned it to relieve the paresthesia afflicting him without waking her. He then resumed idly stroking her hair. "Rose insisted on seeing them and a half-dozen other things before we return to France. Stubborn girl. She should be in a hospital, not backpacking across the Russian Steppe."

"You're a long way from the steppe, Roland," Victor said in good cheer, no doubt trying to lighten the mood.

"I suppose we are." To be fair, they _had_ passed through much of it on the journey to Moscow.

"What happened to her?"

"Stray bullet from a Brit. We started our trip on the east coast and got caught up in the invasion."

"Ah," Victor said solemnly. "Not the best start to a honeymoon."

"Indeed. I certainly hope we won't repeat the experience when the time comes."

"Oh, you're not married? I'm sorry for assuming."

Lelouch waved the apology away. He noticed Victor saw the gesture in the mirror from his seat at the wheel. "You're not entirely wrong. We're recently engaged."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. It's a bit of a relief to be honest. Rose and I have been flirting and dancing around each other since we were children."

"Ah, those awkward adolescent years," Victor said with no small amount of nostalgia in his voice.

"And you?"

"Wife and three daughters."

Lelouch reached out with a hand to rest it on the shoulder of Victor, his comrade. He wore the smile of a broken man and spoke with the weary and weathered voice of the long suffering. "I know your burden, my brother. You're as outnumbered as I have always been. Weep, if you must, for you are among friends."

Victor laughed hard enough at the delivery that he had to swerve back into their lane on the motorway. "Should I ask?"

"Single mother and sisters," Lelouch replied. "Only sisters. Lots and lots of sisters and their friends."

What followed could euphemistically be described as masculine bonding at the expense of the female gender. At some point, Kallen awoke, took particular offence at one remark, and pinched Lelouch's leg _hard_ , but she otherwise pretended to remain asleep. She recognised what he was doing and opted to let him get on with it. One could obtain a lot of information from someone which would otherwise not be volunteered in a comfortable and amicable atmosphere.

Eventually, the conversation turned to the war and politics. Lelouch trusted the Shinozaki to have given him good information – that was why he was here, after all – but he needed to hear it straight from the source to truly understand the principles and emotions underlying the situation well enough to use them. Victor was but one of many natives he'd queried on the journey from Vladivostok to western Russia, and the man would certainly not be the last.

"The _politicians_ " – Victor spat the word – "in Moscow are going to get us all killed. Or worse."

"It does seem a little…optimistic, perhaps, to challenge Britannia alone."

Victor scoffed. "No need to mince words. It's arrogance. Or maybe politics. Don't know which. Maybe both."

Lelouch feigned confusion. "Politics? How do you mean?"

With an angry snort, Victor replied, "What does an unpopular government always do to distract the populace?"

"Bread and circuses?"

That pulled a laugh out of Victor. "I was thinking start a war."

"Because that worked so well with the Russo–Japanese War," Kallen said, entering into the conversation.

"Not exactly how that happened, but still not my country's finest moment, Briar Rose. Did your prince kiss you awake?"

Kallen let out a short sigh of distress. "No," she said with the well feigned heartbreak of a pure and innocent young maiden. "His Highness is never one for romance. It is a cold and callous heart that holds my own." She sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye.

"My apologies, My Lady." Lelouch bent over to gently kiss Kallen on the forehead.

"Not what I was expecting," Kallen said flatly, "but I accept your apology, my handsome Prince…" Her expression slowly morphed into a frown. "What was the prince's name in the story?"

"I don't believe he has one," Lelouch said. "Victor?"

"No idea."

Kallen chuckled. "Well, that says a lot about his importance." She slipped a hand around the back of Lelouch's neck and pulled. "Are you my nameless eye candy, Roland?"

"I think you answered your own question."

When the strain of trying to lift not even half of her own weight showed on her face, Lelouch flicked Kallen's forehead. She put forth a token grumble, frustrated with how her injury yet lingered, but laid her head back down on his lap without further protest. She would be fit and ready to fight again in a week or two. Until then, he would ensure she stopped overexerting herself and actually rested.

"Rose, do you recall that Sasha girl we shared a ride out of Moscow with?"

A thoughtful hum, and then, "Oh, yes." In imitation, Kallen added, "She had a really thick accent, no?"

"That's the one. She had an interesting take on the war, but I can't remember exactly what it was."

Kallen gave Lelouch a look that said she bought absolutely zero percent of that lie but answered anyway. "She was of the opinion that the government thinks this is a win–win scenario. If the war goes well, great. If not, then losing a vast chunk of 'relatively worthless' but unquestionably _Russian_ territory, thus putting Britannia at Europe's doorstep, would force the entire EU into a _direct_ confrontation with Britannia for the first time in decades. Then maybe they'd finally do something about them rather than meekly hoping they go away."

"A win–win," Victor growled. "I have family who have built their entire lives out east. They wouldn't be able to pick up everything and just leave. Are they supposed to be okay with living as second-class citizens under Britannian rule until everything _maybe_ sorts itself out?"

Without missing a beat, Kallen added her own vitriol to stoke the fire. "Of course! But don't worry. You see, my grandmother now enjoys the comfortable life of regular degradation and indulges in that blissful feeling of being too old to be worth raping when there are just so many younger and more appealing women around. She assures me it's jolly good fun and the hospitality is to die for."

That was not true in this particular case, of course, but it once had been, still was for hundreds of millions, and soon would be for millions more. Lelouch cupped Kallen's cheek in a loving caress that hid her expression and offered her an understanding smile; he knew this would always be harder for her than him. Rather than the anger expected from her words, conflict and guilt showed clearly on her face. Regardless of ultimate good intentions, she'd purposefully set out to reduce millions to the same miserable state. After a few seconds and a quiet sigh, she mastered her lapse of control and returned the smile.

Meanwhile, surprised and no doubt indignant on Kallen's behalf, Victor asked, "Where is your grandmother from?"

"Japan."

"Oh," was Victor's grim reply. Japan – in Russia, at least, if not the entire EU – was almost a taboo subject in casual conversation. Much as Britannia had wept for nearly half of its population left behind to the pale mercies of Napoleon in the post-Humiliation flight to the New World, now too was guilt felt for the Japanese abandoned to Britannia during the Second Pacific War.

To break the silence, Lelouch returned the conversation back to its original topic. "Now that you've jogged my memory, I recall that you only covered half of Sasha's diatribe against the government. The second half concerned how much she was looking forward to the coming revolution when the war inevitably goes south."

"Not a very optimistic girl, was she?" Kallen said.

"She could damn well sign me up," Victor said. "I don't know how much good I could do, but I'd be behind her wholeheartedly."

He'd heard it before, he'd been informed in advance, but it still surprised Lelouch. The Shinozaki had _understated_ how much resentment toward the government there was amongst the working class in Russia. It was far from the explosive, violent anger that fed armed rebellion, but revolution hung in the air nonetheless. It would take a spark and a charismatic leader, but it was coming.

 _Tempting. So very tempting,_ Lelouch silently mused. He'd planned to divide Russia's disparate peoples and set them against each other to fragment and distract the empire while he set it on fire, but it might be easier to ignite the entire country in a full blown civil war.

 _But then again, that might create_ too much _chaos. Kallen and I aren't here to win the war; we're here to make a name for ourselves. It does us no good to allow Laertes an easy conquest over a shattered government. The emperor would recognise the truth, no doubt, but that's not enough. We must be populist by necessity to bring about cultural change. However effective it would be, we can't operate from the shadows. We must be visible. We must be audacious. We must be unstoppable._

With a private sigh, Lelouch rejoined the conversation. He hated dragging politics into war. It made the merely implausible impossible and forced him to adopt less optimal strategies. If he had his way, no one would know he was here until it was too late – and perhaps not even then.

But no, that would never do. He would have to announce himself. He would have to pull victory out of impossibility. He would have to dazzle, shock, and awe when there were far more practical solutions readily available. He would have to do it all with a handful of men and women. He would have to do it all with whatever equipment and allies he could scrounge up on his own deep within enemy territory. He would have to _win_ , and he would have to do it with panache.

After all, Lelouch could hardly hope to claim the throne for himself if he demurred over something so simple as waging an impossible war. He would be the man who made the impossible possible, and his people would love him for it.

* * *

 **Ogongora, Russia  
** **May 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

After a four hour drive, the group finally arrived at their destination. Ogongora could generously be described as a town – and even then only barely – one which survived largely off of tourism. From its centre, one could see the motorway at the far western outskirts continuing off toward its ultimate destination at the Baltic Sea some two-hundred-odd kilometres away. In the other direction, the town's main street curved away north toward the local attraction. There in the heart of town, perhaps a dozen people wandered the pavements with even fewer cars.

 _What a small village,_ Kallen idly thought to herself as she took the sights in and studied the people. This road trip across Russia was good for her. In a life spent bouncing between peaceful seclusion in the countryside and the world's largest metropolises, she'd needed the variety she'd gotten over the past few weeks. It gave her perspective.

At last the car came to a stop outside their hotel. Lelouch stepped out first and helped Kallen to her feet in a dramatised gesture of gallantry mixed with actual concern. She rolled her eyes and thanked him for the assistance. Victor laughed, Lelouch retrieved their luggage from the boot, she took his offered arm, farewells were exchanged, and then they parted ways.

Kallen leant into Lelouch as they approached the hotel doors. "You, monsieur, grow more ridiculous with each passing day."

"Government and theatre have much in common," Lelouch dryly replied. "Would you deny me practice in the lesser for the greater?"

"Of course not, mon chéri, but I don't know where you'll get it here. We're far from home, after all." As Lelouch chuckled, Kallen added, "Must I–" She walked a pair of fingers across his chest suggestively. "–divine the truth of your behaviour?"

"You need not go so far," Lelouch said with the slightest hint of strain in his voice only those closest to him would notice. He'd obviously picked up on at least two meanings of the triple entendre. "If the lady but asks, I would be privileged to tell her."

"Well, go on, then."

"Here on holiday away from prying eyes, I've decided to show you a different side of myself in the hope that you'll fall even more madly in love with me."

Kallen swatted Lelouch's arm for the nonanswer and said, "You forget that the way to my heart is not through poetry or chivalry, nor flowers or diamonds. Build me a better knightmare, and you'll have my affection. Bring me the Honjō Masamune, and you'll have my eternal devotion."

"So you say, but your smiles betray you."

They did, Kallen knew, but she would never admit it.

"Still," Lelouch said with a contemplative air, "my mother probably knew a few unsavoury collectors. I could ask them to keep an eye out for Japanese treasures passing from hand to hand in the shadows."

Lightly hopping onto her toes, Kallen gave Lelouch a kiss on the cheek. "You're sweet." She pulled him along to check-in with a quiet giggle when he blanked on how to respond. This pretending to be engaged act was more fun than she'd first expected. She almost forgave him for making her name 'Rose'.

After they were settled in their room, a cosy little place to spend the night, Kallen laid herself down on the bed and adjusted the pillows to support her back. It was far removed from the luxury she enjoyed at home, but anything would do after cramped train carriages and overflowing hostels. The journey here had been rough and both rushed and ponderous with the wave of refugees they'd ridden in on. Hopefully, she wouldn't aggravate her injury _again_.

 _At least I'm finally done with stitches. I'm so tired of stitches. I lost count of how many I tore around twelve._

Lazily, Kallen reached a hand out for the laptop she'd bought in Moscow and waved it helplessly up and down. Noticing this, Lelouch rolled his eyes and carried it the two steps between her and the table before excusing himself to take a shower. She, meanwhile, connected to the Internet and went through the usual process of encrypting her connection and ensuring no one could trace her.

 _Gotta love the future. Coordinating our side of the war would have been a logistical nightmare even ten years ago. Now let's see where everyone is…_

Fifteen minutes of reading reports and some change later, Lelouch returned half-dressed rubbing a towel at his hair. Kallen watched him find his way to their luggage out of the corner of her eye. He'd be the last person to win a masculinity contest, but no one could deny that he made the bishōnen look work for him.

Kallen sighed to herself when Lelouch found his shirt and put it on. The free show was over. Then a thought struck her, and she chuckled.

"You're laughing," Lelouch observed, sounding more affronted than he probably was.

"Just imagining what you'd look like now if Milly got her hands on you again. I think you'd be the prettiest girl on campus in a wig and a dress. Maybe a little rouge. Some lipstick." To Lelouch's scoff, Kallen added, "Such soft, smooth skin. Those delicate features. Face facts. You're a total bishie."

"I don't even want to know what that means. What news have you?"

"Oh, now don't be like that. That androgynous look of yours suits you well. You're perfectly fanciable."

Lelouch was having none of it and simply glared.

With an unaffected smile, Kallen relented. "Nothing terribly interesting has happened. A few stragglers are MIA, but everyone in the initial rush westward has made it past the hot zones during the chaos. There's the usual trouble with Russia wanting to get all these silly Frenchmen, Germans, and such out of their country so they can deal with the dragon in their garden, but most seem to be getting by all right."

"Good. Where is everyone?"

"I haven't done a statistical analysis, but I get the general feeling we're still lagging near the back," which came as no surprise to either of them. Between Kallen's injury slowing them down, Lelouch stopping to chat with every other person on the street, and surreptitiously learning the terrain through sightseeing, it was enough for them to be in Europe at all.

"That's fine. We need to wait for the majority of the Russian army to fully mobilise eastward for maximum effect. Any major incidents or indiscretions I should know about?"

"Not particularly. One of the privates got himself into a one-night stand, but his commander made it sound like it would have drawn attention if he hadn't gone through with it."

Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose. "Forward the report to me. I'll look into it tonight. So long as it's not a rape and didn't compromise him, it doesn't matter. Anything else?"

"No," Kallen said as she did as asked. She then set her laptop aside and asked something she'd wanted to all day. "Have you given thought to the revolutionary charge in the air?"

"I have," Lelouch answered plainly.

"And? The people here are _angry_. It wouldn't take much to start a revolt. Are we still heading to the Baltic provinces?" When Lelouch nodded without hesitation or a word of explanation, Kallen frowned. She struggled with a much worse tendency toward tunnel vision, but he sometimes fell victim to it as well, usually when enraged or, more relevantly, wrapped up in his own cleverness. "Why?"

"Several reasons, but two main ones. For our purposes, we need to embody the ideal of Britannian invincibility."

 _Hence we need to do most of the heavy lifting ourselves. Fair point._

"Moreover, it would be disastrous if we became known as not just revolutionaries but the founders and leaders of a revolution."

Kallen cringed as she imagined the consequences. Nothing would kill their ambitions faster. A simple passing comment comparing Lelouch to Napoleon would be all it took to poison their names and ruin their work within the system forever. Of the rest of the imperial family, only Marrybell had the inclination, disposition, and ability to be trusted with the throne, but her nonnegative reputation clung to life by the barest of threads. There would be nothing for it but civil war and the consequences therein.

"In comparison," Lelouch continued, "the storm we'll brew is a classic divide and conquer tactic Britannia uses not infrequently. It might result in revolution and the succession of the Baltic states – they've certainly been asking for independence for long enough to want to fight for it – but that's of no concern. Our involvement there will be peripheral at worst as we ravage Russia's supply lines."

"Alright," Kallen said. "I accept your reasoning. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to head to bed early. All this travel is really taking its toll on me."

Lelouch couldn't quite hide the look of concern that flashed across his face. "Very well. I'll try to be quiet. Let me know if you need anything."

"Of course. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Sleep well."

As she laid in bed snuggled beneath the blankets, Kallen had time to reflect upon the day and the journey that had brought her here. Victor was the latest in a long line of people to share their stories with her but only the second to explicitly mention having family east of the Urals in the territory the emperor wanted.

 _I slipped today,_ she recalled. When Victor had mentioned family, she'd seized the opportunity to vent to someone other than Lelouch. When the anger had passed, all she'd been left with was guilt. _I'm better than that._ She rolled over to get more comfortable but winced and retreated in a huff when her back protested.

 _We do what we must._ Kallen knew it. She believed it. But it left a bad taste in her mouth. _Still,_ she consoled herself, _it's not like we can stop this war. All we can do is end it faster. It's not like we can wish away the world's problems. Magic doesn't seem to be that convenient._

Speaking of which, Kallen felt her geass flicker out as her concentration wavered.

 _Wish there were better options. Civil war, world chaos. Duty to New York too. Won't betray that trust. Assassination, need support first. Once obtained, why bother? Emperor is old. Peaceful culture shift, centuries. Horrid utility integral along the way. Doesn't work any – anyway. More rich than ever… No one copies…business practises…_

Kallen drifted into the gentle embrace of sleep.

* * *

 **Tsvetochnyye Skaly Tourist Centre  
** **Ogongora Outskirts, Russia  
** **May 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

The Tsvetochnyye Skaly were an aptly named series of crags jutting up from the surrounding foothills like a raging ocean storm frozen in time. Blossoming flowers of all shapes and colours swarmed up the rock face in a flood of pastels seeking the sun before tapering off into creeping ivy clinging to the highest reaches and blanketing the peaks in green.

"It's beautiful," Kallen said. She honestly hadn't expected much, but the vertical flower field before her was a feast for the eyes. Unlike the carefully sculpted and immaculate gardens of Pendragon, it possessed the sort of raw splendour of circumstance only the coincidences of nature could provide.

"Quite. According to the tourist packet, it's a mostly natural phenomenon."

"Shush, Roland. Analysing it isn't the point."

"There's beauty in truth," Lelouch replied as he read the brochure they'd been given the night before.

"Beauty _is_ truth," Kallen countered, but poetry had no effect.

"Apparently, the local winds sweep up loose topsoil for nutrients. The variations affect how high the flowers reach each year."

"As interesting as that is, mon chéri, you're ruining it."

Lelouch hummed, amused, as he continued to read. A few seconds later, he let out a delighted, "Oh?" Kallen poked him in warning, but heedless, he said, "It appears all of these flowers are invasive species."

"Ruined! Ruined forever!" Kallen ignored the glances she got from the few other tourists present. She folded her arms together in a petulant display more feigned than real. "I hope you're happy with yourself."

Satisfied with a job well done, Lelouch chuckled as he pocketed the brochure. "I can't help but feel this is a metaphor."

"Hmph. A metaphor for what?"

"Perhaps it's as you said: beauty _is_ truth. Or to rephrase, beauty makes right. It would be a simple matter to raze these fields and restore the natural flora to the land. It might take a few repetitions and some weeding, but it could be done. Instead, the invaders are encouraged and celebrated for nothing but their beauty. They provide no other service or benefit to the ecosystem." Lelouch nodded sagely and stroked his nonexistent beard. "There is deep wisdom here. I know now that it's good and just to destroy and conquer as long as you look fabulous in the process."

A snicker escaped Kallen despite herself. She could play this game. "Harsh. And perhaps a touch too cynical. It may be the beauty that draws us here. It may even be that the first flower patch grew unimpeded because it was pretty. But between those two points, someone would have done something if this were for the worse. Rather than being good and just to destroy and conquer, we could say it's perfectly acceptable to remake the world in your own image so long as you do better than that which came before."

"Your naive idealism sickens me. It's not a matter of 'doing better'. It's a matter of simply _being_ better. Lesser beings should always bow before the superior species and accept fate as is right and proper."

"Reality check. Invasive species outcompete not because of any innate superiority but due to a lack of natural controls. It's pure mathematics. Simple calculus. Clearly, the lesson to take away is to introduce these controls when necessary. We must regularly cull any population that does too well or suffer the consequences."

"With those consequences being a lovely view," Lelouch retorted. "It is madness not to let our poppies grow tall. That is the great folly of Europe. When the truly gifted are allowed to thrive, this is the result. For this, the costs are immaterial."

Inspiration struck, and Kallen set her trap. "Everything has _something_ to offer. I weep for the loss before me that so plagues my eyes. So much greenery that will never grace these fields again. This is what happens when everyone isn't given a fair and equal chance at life."

"Equality," Lelouch scoffed. "Ha. There is no such thing. Equality is an illusion, the pleasant dream of a post-scarcity society far removed from reality. No, the moral here is in the triumph. This is what happens when you allow natural competition without the arbitrary imposition of 'fairness'. Only the most fit survive and achieve greatness. Inequality isn't wrong; equality is."

"Ooh, someone has been paying attention to Daddy."

"Walked right into that one," Lelouch muttered to himself.

Kallen, meanwhile, called this her victory by the nebulous rules of their childhood games. Without the need to continue on, she gave her newly healed lung a workout as a fit of laughter finally overtook her. "We're horrible. You know that, right?"

"Yes," Lelouch proudly said. He opened his mouth to say something more but paused, thoughtful. He hummed. "This conversation feels familiar…"

 _Does it? Hmm…_ Kallen shrugged. Nothing in particular came to mind.

"No matter. Look at the mountains behind the flowers."

Mountain was a generous word. They were more accurately described as glorified, rocky hills. The ones behind Kallen's own manor were far more impressive, but she doubted their aesthetic appeal was the point.

"There's a bridge between two of them."

With that hint, Kallen's gaze quickly zeroed in on the structure in question. A wooden arch bridge spanned perhaps a hundred feet across a chasm with a river flowing through the basin.

"Follow the railway to the east."

Hunting down brief glimpses of suspiciously level ground and unnatural ledges, Kallen eventually found the source in the foothills off to the east. The exposed terrain would be a poor location for an ambush, but just inside the mountains where visibility would be low but would still offer high mobility would be a different story. They'd need to go hiking today or get inside information before they left while Russia's attention was firmly set on the east, but that was no trouble. Mostly likely, she and Lelouch would visit a pub in town and swap childhood stories of mountaineering with a local.

"Sorry, I meant to the west." An obvious lie.

Nevertheless, Kallen repeated the process and quickly found a fortified compound built into the side of a mountain roughly ten kilometres away. "Military base?" she asked. After Lelouch nodded, she added, "Well, it's nice to know we're safe from Britannia if they manage to ninja in a fighting force while we're here." She doubted anyone was listening in on them, but a basic tenant of not being compromised was maintaining character in public.

"Indeed." Lelouch slipped his hand into hers and interweaved their fingers. "Even if you won't admit it, I know you've been anxious."

"I have not!" Kallen protested with a haughty air. She didn't need to pretend to feel indignant.

"If you insist. I know _I_ won't feel settled until I get you home away from this war and perhaps back into a hospital."

"Roland, I'm fine," Kallen said in the lovingly indulgent huff of a woman with a man who worried about her health and safety far too much. She leant into Lelouch and let him wrap an arm around her waist. "Silly boy."

"Stubborn girl," Lelouch replied in that same loving exasperation.

There was much to be done and hundreds of plans to be made, but for now, the pair simply enjoyed each other's company and the view.

* * *

 **BALTIC Headquarters  
** **Riga, Russia  
** **June 10, 2016 a.t.b.**

"This is our chance! Maybe even our only chance! The EU sits and does nothing as Britannia marches west. What will we do when they come for us?"

"The inhospitable climate and terrain is slowing the Brits down more than the Russians. While we sit here in debate doing nothing, our time dwindles away. We _must_ declare our independence."

"With what resources? We barely have enough to harass the Russians. How do you expect us to fight the other army in the land? They won't care if we consider ourselves part of their new territory or not."

"We could make a deal with the EU. They would protect us. Or at least give us the means to protect ourselves."

"Ha! You'd have better luck making a deal with the Brits. The EU has washed their hands of us."

The debate went on for hours. Everyone agreed that action needed to be taken. Something needed to be done. Not that anyone could agree on what exactly that was. This deadlock would destroy them as surely as any foreign army.

Robin Lepp sat at his office desk in quiet contemplation – or was that mourning? – of the situation as he idly played with a joke gift from a long dead friend. The globe was a curious thing. It depicted national boundaries in the absence of empires and made the world almost unrecognisable. Spotting his own home of Estonia as it lazily spun past brought a brief smile to his face before he turned his thoughts back to more serious matters.

As bad as the indecision in BALTIC's fledgling senate was, he gave thanks that the disagreements weren't along national lines. The Baltic states _must_ stand together, or they would all fall. Together, perhaps, they had hope, but three tiny nations acting independently at three cross purposes would not withstand the might of Russian or Britannian arms.

 _How do we weather this storm?_ Robin's thoughts turned over the four main choices he saw before them. They could declare independence. _With little means to defend ourselves, the best case outcome its a pat on the back from Britannia for distracting Russia._ They could pick a side and wholeheartedly support it. _Neither would do us any good. Russia expects it, and Britannia doesn't need us._ They could appeal to the EU. _I doubt anything would come of that. It hasn't for Russia._ Lastly, they could do nothing and hope for the best. Robin snorted at the thought and dismissed it without further consideration.

A knock came at the door. Robin gave a few last parting moments to his thoughts and then called for his company to enter.

"Ah, Yukiya. Come in. What can I do for you?"

Yukiya Naruse, a fifteen-year-old half-Estonian half-Japanese boy, bore the pallid look of someone who spent as much of his life indoors in front of a computer as possible. A year ago, he'd managed to hack his way into Russian intelligence 'for fun'.

He'd fled in the night the very same day.

With nowhere else to go, Yukiya had eventually sought shelter with BALTIC. Normally, they would have simply helped him leave the country, but he'd boasted useful – if unpolished – skills. Then after they'd learnt of the boy's distressingly intimate knowledge of explosives, they'd felt more comfortable keeping him close where they could keep an eye on him.

"I've run the latest applicants and suppliers through the system." Yukiya held out a small stack of paper. "Most of them are clean. One is a Russian spy. Another I'm not sure about. I've noted both. Two others are…weird."

Robin ran a finger along the edge of the stack to flip through it one dossier at a time. He glanced at the names, recognising a few, and quickly skimming through the notes Yukiya had pencilled in. Second from the bottom, he paused and set aside the preceding papers. He quickly flipped to the last page and saw the other half of the pair. He glanced up and arched his eyebrows. Recruitment had been on the rise since the start of the war, but this was unexpected.

"Don't look at me," Yukiya said. "I'm just the messenger."

"How much effort did you put into vetting them?"

"Pulled their original records from France and chased down the usual supplemental stuff. They check out, but they're all so…bland for bourgeois. I assume they're false identities, but I have no proof nor any lead on their real names. Whoever they are, they're good."

Robin hummed in interest. BALTIC had dealt with truly anonymous suppliers before. They never _required_ anyone to identify themselves to donate. But that only applied to monetary contributions. Arms and ammunitions were another beast entirely. Russia barely tolerated their existence as an independence movement. If it even suspected they were a military organisation – rightly or otherwise – they would be stomped out. They'd been very careful to keep their small stockpile of weaponry concealed from all but the most trustworthy.

"Very well, Yukiya. Thank you for your work. If there's nothing else, please leave me to my thoughts."

Soon enough, Robin was left alone to ruminate on the matter before him. They'd had expats before return to help the cause, but according to the dossiers, both Roland Cardin and Rose Delise – notably engaged to be married – were French born and raised with no connection to either Russia or any of the Baltic states.

 _So young. Barely adults._ There was an old joke that no true Frenchman would miss a revolution, but this was pushing the limit. _If they are sincere in their offer, where would they procure enough military hardware to outfit an entire army? If they're buying it, where does their wealth come from? What condition would it all be in?_

It all seemed like an offer too good to refuse. It was too obvious to be a trap, although Robin would proceed carefully regardless, yet something still felt wrong.

 _Hmm… Perhaps they merely overestimate what they can provide._ Another more hopeful thought occurred. _Or perhaps they're furtive envoys representing either France or the EU. Even if they intend to hang Russia out to dry, perhaps they intend to salvage what they can of the empire._

 _Well, no harm will come from meeting them. I should have the time this weekend to catch an aeroplane._

* * *

 **Saint Petersburg, Russia  
** **June 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

So far removed from the war, life in Saint Petersburg had not slowed in the least. Proper tourism had no doubt diminished, but the business of war brought enough foreigners that no one would ever notice the difference.

Robin strolled along the Neva River toward what was politely referred to as the French part of town. Cardin and Delise had provided their contact information and the address of the hotel where they were staying. From that, his agents had easily kept an eye on the pair as they went off gallivanting across town and enjoying the high life. The reports he'd read had eased his concerns somewhat. Whoever those two really were, they had money to spare and were thus more likely able to fulfil the offer they'd made.

Glancing at his watch, Robin increased his pace. He had two hours left before his meeting, but he wanted to observe his potential suppliers in person before he met them with their guard up.

'Are they still at the dance hall?' Robin texted as he came to an intersection. One of his agents quickly replied in the affirmative, so he veered left away from the riverbank.

La Maison du Jazz was exactly what it said on the tin. The faint hum of jazz hung in the air even before Robin managed to gain entrance. Inside, he bounced in his step in time to the beat of the swing, humming along with a small smile on his face. This was not the sexually charged nightclub with pulsing rhythms so favoured by the younger crowd these days.

 _Damn. I'm getting old. When did I get old?_ Robin shook his head as he stepped out onto the dance floor. He quickly spotted his agent on the scene sitting at a bar stool at the back of the crowd from which he surveyed the dancers.

"Evening, Jass."

No response came right away, but Jass soon shook himself and said, "Ah. Hey, Boss. You made it."

"Mm-hmm. Where are they?"

"Centre of the crowd. You can't miss them."

Robin followed Jass's gaze through the dancers. Each couple was spread apart to allow each other enough room, but a denser ring of onlookers had grown in the very centre. Inside it, Cardin and Delise were the focus of attention. The former wore a loose shirt with bracers holding up his trousers. The latter had a light red sundress that billowed out with her as she spun, skipped, shook her hips, hopped, and even flipped. They moved in sync with a grace that could only come from hours upon hours of practice and an intimate familiarity with how the other moved.

Robin whistled, impressed with the pair of brunettes. "They're good."

"Damn straight. How do women move in heels like that?"

"Beats me. Deep magic?"

Jass barked a laugh. "What dance is that?"

"Lindy hop," Robin replied.

"Never heard of it."

"It's an old Britannian dance. Originated in New York City and then spread everywhere."

The song ended just as the pair moved into a single-handed dip, one arm about Delise's waist and one of hers wrapped around Cardin's neck. They stared at each other with bright smiles and a hungry intensity in their eyes as their audience erupted into applause. They rose and each placed a hand on the small of the other's back. Together, they bowed once in three different directions to end their performance.

The girl placed a hand on Cardin's shoulder and stepped onto her toes to whisper something into his ear. His gaze then passed over the crowd toward the bar where it fell right onto Robin. Just as Robin was wondering if he'd been identified, Cardin smirked and tapped his left wrist right where Robin's own watch rested. With nothing more said, he leant over to whisper something back into Delise's ear. The pair left the hall soon after.

"They spotted you, Boss," Jass commented.

"So they did."

"Want extra security at the meeting?"

Robin gave the idea a moment's thought but waved off the concern. "I'm not _not_ a public figure. They've either done their research or know someone who knows me. Neither is much cause for concern."

"If you say so."

"Should have brought the wife," Robin idly mused. "It would appear I have nothing to do for the next hour."

* * *

After a pair of showers and a change of clothes to the more formal but practical, Kallen and Lelouch walked arm in arm from their hotel toward the cabaret where they'd be dining tonight with their contact from BALTIC. It was serious business which could put them both in danger if negotiations went south, but none of that mattered quite yet in the warm afterglow of an afternoon out dancing.

"Hey, Roland. You wanna know what the best decision I ever made was?"

"Saying yes to marrying me?"

"Ha ha, no. We'll call that number three right after discovering oatmeal cookies."

"Hmm… I'd feel offended, but mmm… Was it buying that dress that shows off your legs?"

Kallen lightly swatted Lelouch's arm with her free hand. "It was pulling you from the ballroom out into my city. Good music. Exercise. Tonnes of fun. No regrets."

"None? Not even that time I dropped you on your head?"

"No regrets." She'd forgiven him for that as soon as it'd happened. Both their inexperience had shown through that day, and they'd padded the floor before trying again. "We should spend more time there when we get home. There's a lot to do, and I really should get to know the city better. I wasn't even born there." _Unlike Naoto._ Kallen chuckled at the incongruity.

"I don't see why not. There are a number of plays I'd love to see live, and the pizza is always good."

Kallen felt her phone vibrate. Pulling it from her pocket, she glanced at the message from Shinobu.

'Three confirmed.' After the text, three surreptitiously obtained photos followed. Kallen glanced at each face and committed them to memory. After she had, she scrolled down to a fourth photo listed as a possible but unconfirmed potential hostile. She memorised that face too.

"Problems?" Lelouch asked.

As she pocketed her phone, Kallen said, "No more than expected. Doesn't look like your little stunt earlier scared Lepp off or spooked him into calling in more of his friends. Should be a pleasant night." Or in other words, the coming meeting was not a trap.

"Excellent. Music. Dinner. Politics. A gorgeous woman enamoured of me. What more could a man ask for?"

Kallen rolled her eyes.

* * *

The smooth cadence of the band and dulcet tones of the songstress filled the cabaret. The maître d' led Robin through the crowd to a semi-private table in the back corner of the hall. Anyone attempting to eavesdrop would have to make an obvious approach. Deep within the once capital of Russia, this was about as neutral neutral ground as there could be under the assumption that Cardin and Delise were not spies sent to root out the disloyal. As he neared the table, his already present guests rose to greet him.

"Evening, Härra Lepp." Cardin extended his hand and offered a somewhat pallid shake.

Nonetheless, Robin replied, "Good evening, Monsieur Cardin. And it's Director, actually." Cardin nodded in acknowledgement. "And you must be Mademoiselle Delise."

"A pleasure." Unexpectedly, her grip was _much_ firmer when she offered her hand in greeting.

 _Curious._ This was not Robin's usual experience with the wealthy. "Shall we be seated, then?"

Over the next hour, the trio discussed little of importance as they dined and got to know each other a little better. He was more than a little surprised to discover Delise was an avid fencer. He was decidedly less astonished when she revealed that Cardin had little skill with the blade unlike his heroic namesake.

"Shall I tell him about the time I Scholar's Mated you?" Cardin suggested.

Robin did his best to merely smile instead of chuckle at the gentle teasing between lovers.

"Don't say it like that." A light blush dusted Delise's face. "You make it sound like you beat me in four moves."

"I played tennis in my youth," Robin began.

The light conversation continued until they'd finished the main course and moved on to pudding. It was time to discuss business. First, Robin needed to suss out exactly where his companions' loyalty lay and why. He liked them well enough from first impressions, but the worst enemies had silver tongues. However, as he contemplated how to begin that subtle interrogation, Cardin made such concerns pointless.

"Director Lepp, I must apologise. Rose and I have met you under somewhat false pretences." Before Robin decided how to reply to that, Cardin added, "But I see this comes as no surprise to you."

Robin blinked, unused to being so easily read.

"Interesting. I'm curious to know how you came to that conclusion, but it is a minor matter. Our offer of assistance to your cause is genuine, I assure you, but for the moment, please indulge me. I'm most interested to know who you think we are."

For a few seconds, Robin carefully considered how he wanted to respond. His thoughts were still trying to settle from the sudden shift in how he'd expected this conversation to proceed. "I only know you're not who you say you are." Obviously, he choose not to share that 'Russian spy' ranked among his primary theories. "If I had to guess, I would say you're a representative from either Peace Mark or the Hemicycle."

"Peace Mark?" Delise asked.

"The pancolonial terrorist cell that dreams of being a revolutionary movement," Cardin replied offhandedly.

Delise giggled and hid a smile behind her hand. "How delightfully off the mark."

Red flags flared in Robin's mind.

"The irony _is_ overwhelming." Cardin didn't bother to hide his own amusement. "No, we're not here at the behest of the EU or the rabble. We're here to offer you a deal with the devil."

"You're from Britannia."

Cardin nodded without concern while Delise's expression hardened. So she was the bodyguard for the diplomat, then. That lined up with his observations so far.

"Why shouldn't I turn you in right now?" Robin wouldn't, of course. Between the wealthy Frenchman and the disloyal separatist, he knew who the Russians would believe.

"You could." Cardin shrugged. "But why would you want to? My capture won't change the ultimate outcome of the war."

 _But his deal might._ Robin clenched his fists underneath the table. Were he and his people really so desperate that they would help their would-be conquerors for a lesser enslavement?

 _Wait._ That sounded wrong. _If Cardin isn't here to change the outcome of the war, what exactly does he want?_ "Britannia doesn't need BALTIC's help."

"Indeed not. But then it's not Britannia asking for your cooperation. I represent the interests of Prince Lelouch vi Britannia."

That was a new name on the world stage. The prince had first come to Robin's attention after the Battle of Vladivostok. Rumour portrayed the boy as a military prodigy, and it showed in the few battles he'd involved himself in before vanishing off the face of the Earth. While this explained where he'd vanished _to_ , it didn't explain why it mattered.

"And what, pray tell, is the difference?" Robin silently chided himself for the overt hostility in his voice. Antagonising the messenger was pointless and unnecessary.

"Britannia's territorial aims in this war are less than you probably expect. We have no particular interest in any land west of the Urals, although we also have no reason to stop there if Russia refuses to surrender before we reach Moscow and beyond. His Highness wishes to end this conflict as quickly as possible."

Robin spotted the trap almost immediately. "So you only want Siberia?"

Cardin nodded.

"So Russia will endure?"

"I couldn't say. Perhaps, perhaps not, but I'd imagine so."

There was the first and most obvious trap. "Then what is to become of your erstwhile allies when a bitter Russia is free to take its revenge on those who betrayed it?"

"A good question, one said allies will have to answer for themselves. Sometimes independence requires you to fight for your freedom. As I said earlier, our offer to supply you with military equipment is genuine. It's your choice what to do with it and when. I won't colour your thoughts with my own recommendations. However, we neither expect nor want you to enter battle alongside us."

That claim gave Robin pause. He was more confused now than he had been earlier. "Why have you approached us if not to ask us to fight?"

"Logistical support. We intend to engage in a lightning guerrilla campaign. To do that, we need transportation and secure locations to store arms and ammunitions. You may keep whatever we don't use; we expect that to be a considerable quantity. In the most ideal scenario, no one will ever know you were involved with us. A few pairs of eyes and ears and whatever knowledge of the terrain you can provide would also be appreciated.

"His Highness also doesn't intend to leave you completely in the lurch. As part of the peace terms – if there's a Russia left to make peace with, of course – we'll ensure it recognises the Baltic states' independence."

There was the second, more subtle trap. "That would leave us with the stigma of being Britannia created states. The EU would never welcome us." And with such hostility, they would _need_ Britannia at the very least as a trading partner. Economic dependence could be as terrible a yoke as outright conquest.

"We can pitch the idea as breaking up Russia's empire to secure our western border if you wish. The exact details can be negotiated at a later time."

 _A later time, indeed._ That was the most terrible trap of them all. "What guarantee do we have that the prince can deliver on his promises? It's very easy to say he'll make all our wildest dreams come true."

"A simple remedy. His Highness will sign the final terms we reach _before_ he asks anything of you and will ensure the emperor countersigns it."

"And should Russia…regrettably uncover our correspondence before then?" That would all but force BALTIC to side with Britannia to have any hope of surviving. At that point, whoever won the war could impose any terms desired upon the Baltic states.

Cardin had no hesitation in his answer. "His Highness has fostered a growing reputation for acting in good faith. This makes him a, shall we say, desirable alternative to much of the imperial family both at home and abroad. I highly doubt he would want to throw that away for a momentary advantage he doesn't truly need."

Having done his research on the prince, Robin admitted Cardin had a point. Still, he was apprehensive. As Cardin himself had put it in a moment of remarkable self-awareness, working with Britannia would be akin to making a deal with the devil.

"Of course," Cardin said, interrupting Robin's thoughts, "this all depends upon BALTIC forming something approximating a legitimate government. Or three governments, as you prefer. I will not have His Highness accused of foul play or propping up a puppet state."

A moment passed in pregnant silence.

"Of course," Robin echoed with a slight hitch to his voice. So used to thinking of BALTIC as his people's only hope, he'd missed that final trap. That could have proven disastrous if no one else had pointed it out. What else had he missed? "M Cardin, if I may be frank, this seems like an offer too good to be refused." That had not changed since it'd first crossed his desk.

"Which, by definition, cannot be refused," Delise commented. Sometime during the conversation when all of Robin's attention had been on Cardin, she'd dropped the fierce protective looked she'd adopted. She appeared to be enjoying watching Cardin work more than anything.

Robin yet hesitated. If he unleashed this madness upon BALTIC's senate, the matter would be all but out of his hands. Right now, he had the unilateral ability to reject the prince's terms.

"I…will share what we've discussed with headquarters. We'll get back to you soon."

Cardin's smile was wide. He rose with hand extended. "Excellent. It's been a pleasure, Director Lepp."

Robin stood and grasped the hand to shake. It felt clammy. Or maybe that was his own. Not two seconds later, he already regretted agreeing to speak to BALTIC on the prince's behalf. There was no way this could end well. But what choice did he have? However much or little good faith the prince acted in, when it came down to it, he was the _only_ viable option Robin had yet heard to preserve his people against oppression.

How wrong that felt.

* * *

 **Saint Petersburg, Russia  
** **June 18, 2016 a.t.b.**

The clock struck three with one ominous gong, two, and then a third. Lelouch simmered even as he steeled himself for the meeting to come. He would have preferred to have done this before speaking with BALTIC, but one did not waste the emperor's time. If they would have nothing to do with him, then he would not bother the emperor – nor trouble himself with speaking to the man.

Standing beside his seat in their hotel room, Kallen placed a hand on Lelouch's shoulder. He glanced up at her and read equal concern, anticipation, and frustration in her expression. She too wanted to confront the emperor over what he knew about Marianne's death and the part he'd played, but if ever there was a time, now was not it. Lelouch nodded and felt some minor fraction of the tension in his body dissipate. He would keep his temper in check. Kallen stepped aside to provide the illusion of privacy.

Through the most secure and obfuscated channels he had available, Lelouch placed the call he'd arranged through Jeremiah yesterday. He waited for a few moments before it finally connected. The image of the emperor filled the screen. He clenched his fists out of the camera's line of sight and forced himself to remain impassive.

"Lelouch. I expect you've made good use of your extended absence from the front."

So it was to be straight to business, then. Perfect. "I've been making preparations, Your Majesty. Rather than struggle with Laertes" – and his master, Schneizel – "for control of the campaign, I travelled west to make use of myself elsewhere."

"What are your intentions?"

"I plan to cripple Russia's ability to wage war. I have a small detachment of troops with me to carry out a guerrilla campaign against their supply lines. Unless the EU joins the fight, I hope to end this conflict within the year."

"Audacious, but Marianne delivered results with strategies no less bold."

Lelouch grit his teeth at the casual mention of his mother. Behind the camera, Kallen made a sweeping x with her arms that easily caught his attention, silently telling him not to do anything stupid. He refrained from commenting.

"Why such haste? The army under Laertes is making slow but steady progress west."

"I do not like throwing dice in war." Lelouch managed to surprise himself with how calm he sounded. "Calculated risks are par for the course, but weather is always a gamble – no more so anywhere than here. The Russian winter is infamous for breaking victorious armies. If conditions here will be anything like the cold snaps and freezing temperatures the homeland has faced in recent years, it's a risk I'd prefer to avoid. Should I play my part well, it will send the Russians reeling backward to use the Urals as a natural defensive barrier. And, of course, barriers work both ways. At that point, we may either press for peace or wait out the winter and early spring. Personally, I would recommend the former."

The emperor hummed in interest. "If the war progresses as you suggest, why should we make peace when we would have them in such dire straits?"

"Trying to break through the mountain range once the Russians have had months to fortify and build defensive works would be exceedingly difficult and wasteful. I'm aware that you only commanded Schneizel to take Siberia. If we make peace while they're broken and in retreat, it will be on our terms. After the spring thaw passes, they will have a much stronger bargaining position."

"And to bring this about, what is it that you need of me?"

"In order to execute my campaign, I need local support. I've negotiated the assistance I require, but they demanded that you sign off on it before they will lend me aid. In broad strokes, Britannia need only recognise Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as sovereign nations and agree not to annex them."

"A trivial concession. Very well. Send me the text of the treaty to read. If it's acceptable, arrange a means acceptable to both parties for me to sign it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. With your permission, I'll get to it."

The emperor waved his hand dismissively. "Go," he said. The call disconnected moments after.

Kallen approached quietly with all the grace that came so naturally to her. "That went well."

There was no sarcasm in the words. It _had_ gone well. Exceedingly so. Almost as if the emperor had anticipated every word that had been exchanged. It wouldn't surprise Lelouch. The secret to seeming all-knowing was simple: just plan out your answers in advance to every probable conversation track.

Still, Lelouch had to wonder exactly how much time the emperor had spent considering eventualities. Too little would rankle at being so easily read and dismissed. Too much would be worrying. He didn't like how much yet undue attention the emperor already appeared to pay him, but it was that very attention he both needed and didn't want. What an infuriating situation.

Without a word, Kallen wrapped her arms around Lelouch from behind. He took a slow, deep breath and relaxed into her embrace. He had her to keep him grounded, and she, him. Nothing more needed to be said.

* * *

 **Ogongora Outskirts, Russia  
** **July 13, 2016 a.t.b.**

In a small forest clearing less than a minute's walk away from the railway running through the mountains, Kallen surveyed the men and women arrayed before her. She'd not yet worked with Robinson or Green, but Scott, Mark, and Holly were old friends by now. White and Hall she'd had under her command a week ago but only very briefly. Mia, she'd once pulled out of a sniper's line of fire thanks to her geass, and Morgan had gotten a second chance at life when she'd casually shot a soldier with an anti-knightmare missile hiding in a bush.

Kallen knew she probably shouldn't so blatantly flaunt her geass, but she'd sooner marry the emperor than let a comrade in arms die to keep a secret no one would believe anyway. Besides, she loved the new moniker for her floating around: the Oracle. She hoped it stuck.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" The nine before Kallen dropped their idle conversations and snapped to attention. "By now, I'm sure you realise that His Highness writes my speeches, so don't expect too much from me." She paused a moment for the laughter to die down. "This is an auspicious day. Today, we get to pull off a good old-fashioned train robbery. If they ever make a movie about us, you can be sure this will be in it, so let's not embarrass ourselves."

"Does that mean we can't swear?"

Kallen smiled at Holly's joke. "Please keep it appropriate for my innocent ears." That got a good laugh out of everyone. "But seriously, we have about fifteen minutes before we need to be in position. His Highness has already engaged the knightmares they could deploy from it, so all we need to do is deal with whatever guard remains.

"The train needs to slow down to get through the mountains, so we'll be able to jump on from above in the forest. Stay hidden until then. We need to hit them fast and hard while we have the element of surprise. You get in, set up the explosives, seize what you can, leave a knightmare ready for me, and get out. I'll take care of the rest from there. Once you're off, head to the rendezvous point to catch your ride out of here." Just before she was about to ask for questions, Kallen recalled something she'd forgotten to mention. "Oh, also, take the five seconds to throw the bodies over the side once we have the train secure. If they're not dead, we give them a fighting chance. We're not butchers."

Of course, survivors also had their own pragmatic uses. The entire point of this campaign was to attract attention. The more people there were to tell the story, the better.

"Questions? No? Good. Let's move out."

A chorus of, "Yes, My Lady!" came back at Kallen.

All too soon, the thunderous clanking of the train neared. By the sound of it, only a minute or two remained before their part of the operation commenced. Kallen clung to the branch overhanging the railway with her heart already pounding in her ears. Her excited jitters shook the tree despite her best attempts to suppress them. Luckily, she was the furthest down the railway to take the engine at the front of the train. She wouldn't give them away prematurely.

 _This must be how Marianne felt. Guess this explains why she shed so much blood for the emperor._ With every mission, the guilt faded further into the background. More and more, the thrill grew. This was all but objectively evil. She still wished she lived in a world without war. But Kallen would be a liar if she said she didn't enjoy waging it when it came.

The train approached. Kallen fingered her pistol and dagger. Extreme close quarters meant no rifle and no sword, unfortunately. She needed the engine controls intact as well, which meant she couldn't simply lob a grenade inside.

 _Now!_

Kallen leapt from the branch. She landed atop the engine in a crouch with a dull thud. Down the line, she saw two of her comrades already moving before the train curved away out of sight. She glanced to the right. Against the trees, shrubs, and grass, she picked out two human shadows. There was her own, of course, and one moving past a window.

 _Not empty._ Trusting her geass not to steer her wrong and her body armour to do its job, Kallen hopped off the left edge of the train. She grabbed the edge and crashed her way through the window. The engineer spun on her with a gun held in a shaking grip.

Kallen clicked her tongue. _Civilian._ She didn't bother with a weapon and went in for melee. She dodged the first panicked shot and delivered a swift punch to the gut. That gave her an opening to disarm the man. Once she had his handgun, she clocked him over the head with the heavy end. He crumpled to the ground, and that was that. She set the gun aside and then hauled his body out the door and tossed him off the train.

"Q1 here. Engine secured."

Over the next minute while Kallen familiarised herself with the train's controls, the rest of her team radioed back similarly. Green was wounded, but nothing that would stop him continuing the mission.

"Q1, N1 coming up with the first delivery."

"Roger."

A curious little relic caught Kallen's attention from the corner of her eye. _Is that a boombox? With a phone hooked up through cassette?_ A really bad idea worked its way into her head and refused to leave. _Oh, why not?_

Five minutes later, everything was ready. Explosives lined the engine both inside and out. Morgan handed her a pair of detonators. "Smaller one blows the equipment we're leaving behind. Bigger one blows the engine."

Kallen nodded in recognition as she pressed play on the phone she'd picked up. A smile crept up her face.

"Flight of the Valkyries?" Morgan asked, and Kallen nodded. "Doesn't this all seem…eh, needlessly flashy?"

That was more or less the point. Anyone could win. Only the very best could win with style.

"Hey, what works, works." Kallen dialled the volume up to max. She doubted anyone down the railway would hear it over the train's clattering ruckus, but a girl could dream. Mountains echoed, after all. "There's a knightmare set up for me?"

"Two wagons back. On and ready to go."

"Good work. It's been good working with you again, Morgan. I'll probably see you again in a few days for your next mission."

Morgan saluted. "As always, it's been an honour, My Lady."

And with that, Kallen was left alone to begin the third phase of the plan: the assault on the Ogongora Military Base. Lelouch had drawn most of the local forces out to meet him in battle, which left the base virtually undefended. Not that it should really need much defending. Built into the mountainside and mostly underground, a small team posted at the entrance could repel most any _conventional_ attack.

Kallen hummed along to the music in the background as she waited. She had to time this just right. If this didn't work, there would be nothing for it but to leave her last goal for this mission unfulfilled.

 _So glad we spent a month touring the country. This is the kind of mad nonsense you can't pull off if you don't even know the possibility is there. The best part is, this supply train was sent to help deal with us._

At last the moment came. Kallen stepped up to the train's controls with one thought running through her mind. _Ramming speed!_

Kallen jogged to the knightmare prepared for her. The Panzer Hummel was a tank on land spinners. It was slower and less agile than a Sutherland with two massive cannons for arms instead of the dexterous hands Britannia favoured. The slash harkens sat at the hips with a pair of machine guns, and the chest concealed six missiles within. The EU designed the knightmare to tear apart Glasgows, and it did its job well. But progress marched on; the Sutherland's increased manoeuvrability and adaptability made it the better frame.

With a sigh, Kallen climbed aboard. She much preferred light frames, but she would make do with what she had available. She braced her knightmare for a jerk and then fired a slash harken at the link between wagons. Once severed, the front of the train she stood on separated from the dozens of wagons behind it and accelerated.

 _Faster. Faster._ The train approached a cliff overlooking the military base across the canyon. Another team had removed the railway leading up to it. The wheels screeched as they tore into the ground, a shrill, piercing sound that stabbed Kallen's ears even in her knightmare.

The sound stopped. The train launched out over the cliffside. Kallen rose in her seat as gravity took hold. It was time to act. She fired a slash harken at the opposing rock face and pulled herself up and away. Unable to see below and behind her in the knightmare, she crossed her fingers.

 _Come on, physics. This is your best mate, Kallen. Don't let me down now. Land on the ledge. Land on the ledge. Land_ on top _of the ledge._

Below her, Kallen spotted knightmares moving in a desperate and probably futile attempt to intercept the train. Nonetheless, she took aim. She fired one missile. A direct hit!

A heavy crash came from behind and the squealing returned. Another followed soon after and then a third. The train had landed!

 _Yes!_

Kallen turned from the smoking wreck she'd created and targeted the next closest knightmare. She fired again. This missile missed, but it was enough. The delay would keep the knightmares out of the way until the train crashed into the gate.

A thunderous cacophony of metal tearing and crunching came from below just as Kallen touched down onto the rock face. She turned her knightmare to let her observe the carnage. It was absolute chaos, and it was only about to get worse. She picked up the appropriate detonator and pressed the button.

* * *

 **Malcal Manor  
** **Paris, France  
** **July 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Father!"

Heart pounding in her ears, Leila leapt to her feet. Or she tried to. As she rose, her blankets twisted about her legs and sent her sprawling headfirst back onto her chest. She struggled, kicking violently, and rolled until she dropped to the floor and fell free. Undaunted, she successfully swept to her feet this time ready to fight. Her breath came in heavy gasps as she scanned the darkness for threats.

Something wasn't right. Where was she? Where had the rally gone? Where was her mother?

The fleeting image of a broken woman trapped in a burning car forced its way into Leila's mind.

Gradually, Leila's breathing slowed. She realised where she was now. An exasperated sigh escaped her as she stumbled backward across hastily discarded blankets until she bumped into her bed. She let her knees buckle and collapsed onto her back with arms spread.

 _Another nightmare._ The medication never helped. They came whenever they pleased and as vividly as ever. If they didn't disturb her sleep, she wouldn't even care anymore. The scenes they played had grown stale and insipid through ceaseless repetition. She almost wished to suffer some new horror just to escape the tedium.

Leila snorted. As if her life with the Malcal family the past ten years hadn't been a horror onto itself. _Engaged to my 'brother'_. _What a joke._ As soon as she turned eighteen and had actual agency over herself and her inheritance, she would leave and never look back.

 _What time is it?_ Leila lolled her head to the side to glance at her alarm clock. _Three in the morning. That's far too early._

More tired now than when she'd gone to bed, Leila rolled back to her pillow. She clutched the spare in her arms and nestled against it. With her legs, she lazily brought her blankets back to her and settled back in for the night. She desperately needed what sleep she could find. She had a long day ahead of her.

* * *

 **A/N:** Next stage, _The Exile_.

Well…this took a month longer than expected. I was hoping to at least get this out on Kallen's birthday, but that didn't happen. There's about three different versions of every scene, a lot of scrapped material, and a lot of stuff (Leila mostly) got shunted to the next stage. A lot of this was supposed to be in the next chapter instead, but it didn't work as well that way, so it all had to be reordered. The next chapter will hopefully come quicker, but no promises. We're about to enter one of the two busiest times of my year.

If I messed up my attempt at Russian or French, feel free to correct me. I'm out of touch with my friends who actually speak the languages.

Until next time.

* * *

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	21. R1 S18 - The Exile

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 18 - The Exile

 _ **Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris  
**_ _ **Paris, France  
**_ _ **July 13, 2014 a.t.b.**_

For a twelve-year-old, Ayano Kosaka sat with _remarkable_ poise in the face of certain doom. There was no escape from what she'd done. She'd been caught literally red-handed, covered in blood, and with her still dripping sword in hand. Not that it mattered anymore. She had nothing left.

 _Maman, I'm sorry, but I'll be seeing you soon._ A small sardonic smirk grew on Ayano's face. _Consider it payback for lying to me about your job._

The thump of a thick file hitting the table drew Ayano from her thoughts. A tall man whose military uniform must conceal considerable muscle fell heavily into the seat across from her. He ran a hand through his greying green hair. He exhaled heavily – not quite a sigh, but still very noticeable.

"Kid, I don't even know what to say to you."

"You don't need to say anything. Just return my kodachi – or my family's katana, if you found it – and I'll save you all the trouble and commit seppuku."

The man pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even _if_ you could be tried as an adult, execution is never on the table. To be perfectly frank, the judge of inquiry doesn't know what to do with you. He has no idea how he's going to convince anyone an adorable little girl massacred…" He peeked inside the manila folder. "Thirty-seven!"

Ayano smiled proudly. She'd lost count. The man shook his head.

"Thirty-seven gangsters the police have been after for years."

"I had inside information courtesy of Maman."

"Which she requested you _not read_."

Ayano shrugged.

The man truly sighed this time. "Well…motive isn't hard to pin down, at least. Yuki Kosaka. Mid thirties. Immigrated to France as a child. Professional assassin. Sent on increasingly dangerous tasks, it eventually became obvious that the message was 'just die already'."

"It did," Ayano bit out. As far as she could gather, her mother had fallen out of favour with the mafia and had been forced into a no-win situation. The woman had squirrelled away enough evidence to destroy them over the years and sent posthumous instructions to take it to the police, but she'd had other plans. "I'd have done worse to them if I could have."

"And what was your plan for afterwards?"

Ayano shrugged again. "Didn't expect to get them all, to be honest."

"Well, you did. Now suppose all the evidence against you magically disappeared and you walked out of here a free wo…girl. What then?"

"I don't know." Ayano had little interest in indulging impossible hypotheticals. "Wait to see where I get dumped and then go to school next Monday?" She hesitated. She knew the police had _everything_ and already knew her mother's last request in its entirety, but knowing its contents meant nothing compared to knowing how much weight it held.

"Your mother asked something of you."

"Maman…asked me to grow up as a better woman than her," a task Ayano had spectacularly failed already.

"Do you think you can?"

Ayano offered a blunt, "No."

"I see." The man stroked his chin, humming thoughtfully. "Well, it's too late to dissuade you from pursuing revenge, but there's someone I'd like you to meet regardless. The daughter of a dear friend of mine."

* * *

 **Malcal Manor  
** **Paris, France  
** **July 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

Ayano's eyes cracked open. She slammed them shut the very next instant and rolled away from the window. _Forgot to draw the curtains last night. What time is it?_ Braving the sun's light, she peeked at her alarm clock. _Ugh. Need to get up._ She rose, stretching, with a long yawn and then dragged herself out of bed to stumble toward the shower as she rubbed at her eyes.

 _What a depressing dream. Gonna turn into Leila if I'm not careful._

A quick turn of the knob got the hot water running. A warm steam would do her a world of good. With that going, Ayano flung her clothes off into a pile in the corner. The bottom of her pyjamas, frustratingly enough, got caught on the tracker anchored just above her ankle. She shook her leg harder and kicked hoping to dislodge the cloth before giving it up as a bad job and using her hand.

"Stupid piece of junk." _Don't even know why I even have to wear it. I've got nowhere to go and no reason to leave._ "Bah. Whatever."

After showering, Ayano dressed quickly. She recalled that Leila intended to flee the manor as soon as possible today, thankfully, and so chose a set of plain clothes for herself instead of the uniform upon which her insufferable ladyship, Madame Malcal, insisted. Lastly, she went to brush and dry her hair. Once that was done, she finally left her room and the servants' quarters to face the morning.

Today, luck was with her. Ayano climbed to the second floor of the manor and managed to reach the end of the family wing without running into any of the Malcals. She knocked on Leila's bedroom door before slipping inside. Unsurprisingly, she found the girl still asleep with blankets in complete disarray.

 _Another nightmare, eh?_ Ayano shook her head as she approached the bed. She noticed that _someone_ had yanked the alarm clock's lead out of the wall. _Overreaction much? Whatever are we going to do with you?_

Ayano ripped the blankets off of Leila. When the girl continued to sleep like the dead, she crouched down, pulled her arms back, and then leapt onto the bed. Hopping atop it with the frenetic energy of youth, she said, "Get up! You're gonna be late!"

Between the bouncing and the wake-up call, Leila's eyes snapped open. Sadly, today was not one of those hilarious days where she rolled off the bed and fell shrieking onto the floor. She flung a pillow at Ayano as she mumbled some English profanity under her breath. " _Must_ you wake me like this?"

"Hey, so long as I'm stuck here doing chores and cleaning up after you, you're getting the whole little sister package."

Leila grunted and sat up. She ran her fingers across her eyes, clearing the mucus and ultimately pinching the bridge of her nose. "What time is it?"

"Nearly ten. Hurry up and get in the shower, or you'll be late to lunch with the knothead."

That drew a long sigh from Leila that sounded more like a yawn. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you," she said for perhaps the thousandth time.

"Just get moving." Ayano really didn't want to discuss the general's supposed kindness. She should probably be more grateful, but meh.

"Yeah, yeah."

Despite the listless response, Leila did roll herself out of bed to shuffle off into her en suite. The sound of running water soon echoed out into the bedroom, and Ayano set about tidying up and preparing for the day. The bed needed making. The clock needed resetting. Clothes needed retrieving. By the time she returned from her trip downstairs to add last night's discarded negligee to the wash, Leila was out of the shower and already dressed, although her hair still dripped all over her dress and the floor.

Seeing the look on Ayano's face, Leila said, "In a hurry, remember? You don't get to treat me as your dress-up doll today."

"Fine. But your hair is mine."

Before Leila could protest, Ayano pressed her into the chair in front of her dressing table and set to work with the tools of her trade. This would take a more than a few minutes. The girl had more hair than she knew what to do with and absolutely no interest in learning or delegating.

"There is no justice," Ayano muttered.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Just jealous of these soft, voluminous, golden locks. Mine frizzes and frays before it gets to even a third your length."

"Take better care of it?"

"Says the girl who can barely be bothered to let me do half that work for her." Ayano picked up the dryer and a brush. "Don't teach your hairdresser to suck eggs."

"The expression you're looking for is 'don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs'."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't cut the hairs in four." Ayano silently chuckled as she watched Leila's eye twitch. The girl may be French-born, but her Britannian roots ran deep. "Anyway, what do you want today? Straight? Braids? I've got _so much_ to work with." She tousled Leila's hair to emphasise the point. "You look good in old styles. Maybe something Scandinavian. You'd make a beautiful Viking princess. Ooh! Or Celtic. We'd just need to get you to actually smile once in a while."

"Just the usual," Leila insisted, unmoved.

"Urgh! You are so boring." Despite that, Ayano did as asked and retrieved Leila's usual hair braces from her jewellery box. The inner surfaces were still stained red, but the outer gold presented to the world appeared as well cared for as could be expected of heirlooms. The rubies were still missing, though. "There. Two egg buns. If you want to look any more like Sailor Moon, I can make them into twintails."

Leila quirked an eyebrow.

"Nevermind. Let's just get out of this house before a troll breaks down your door."

"Now that sounds like a fine idea."

* * *

 **Café Procope  
** **Paris, France  
** **July 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

"No, it can't be. Leila Breisgau, surely that can't be you."

Leila rolled her eyes even as the shadow of a smile curled the very ends of her lips.

"You get bigger every time I see you."

"And you grew a beard." It looked good, Leila supposed, but it would take some getting used to.

"That I have. I think it makes me look dashing. Like that young general you first fell in love with."

"I was four," Leila protested. "And I'd be more inclined to agree if you let me pluck all of the grey hairs from it."

"Hmph. You take after your mother in more ways than your appearance."

Leila mocked a curtsy. "I take that as a very great compliment."

"You would. Now come. I get a hug, don't I?"

Without hesitation, Leila fell into the pair of arms held wide in invitation. "It's good to see you, Uncle Gene."

"And you as well, Little Duchess." After releasing Leila, Gene stepped back, adjusted the messenger bag hanging from his shoulder, and glanced around. He frowned. "You didn't come here alone, did you?"

Leila quickly dismissed her honourary uncle's concerns. "No, no. Ayano is lurking around somewhere nearby." She'd not leave the girl alone with the winners of the who gets to adopt the Breisgau heiress game. Ayano was too vulnerable, legally speaking, and the Malcals too politically powerful. "She left me just around the corner. She's off doing her own thing, I imagine."

"Well, I'll take what I can get. As long as she doesn't stray too far. How are you two getting on lately?"

"Very well now, I think. She's annoying but also a welcome distraction. I'm still not entirely comfortable with having her officially assigned as my lady's maid, but we make it work."

Gene made a sound somewhere between a grumble and a disgruntled hum. "That's truly not what I'd hoped for when I intervened in her case."

"She knows. She's just frustrated. But I doubt you called me for lunch to discuss Ayano. Shall we head inside?"

With a nod of his head, Gene led the pair into the cafe. They got their reservation and spent the next hour catching up. With the chaos of the disastrous Russo–Britannian War, Gene might as well have dropped off the face of the Earth for all that Leila had heard from him in the last few months.

Leila vented her frustration over how stifling it'd become living as Leila Malcal. Her so-called fiancé, Ioan Malcal, wanted about as much to do with her as she did him, but he'd recently decided to be a complete arse about it. He'd bring over multiple lovers and refer to her as nothing more than his mistress to her face in front of them before explaining that she was a Brit and, as such, that arrangement would be perfectly normal for her. The boar had done that three times now. It was pathetic. It was racist. It was factually inaccurate.

One would be forgiven for thinking that his parents, the two who actually wanted the marriage, might rein in his behaviour.

Once Leila had let off enough steam, Gene spoke of the torrid affairs of state he'd participated in and how obstinate everyone involved had become. Diplomatic talks with Britannia went nowhere, which came as no surprise. They never did. Russia refused to throw in the towel before they lost everything. The Hemicycle insisted on keeping the EU's combined military out of the conflict.

"A giant, completely avoidable mess," Leila called it. She ran a finger along the rim of her teacup with a pensive expression.

Gene guzzled down the last of his coffee and set the mug down heavily. "You have no idea. I have three days off to rest before it's straight back to listening to grand speeches given with the express intent of accomplishing nothing at all."

"Surely it's not that bad."

"Bah! It might as well be." With a heavy sigh, Gene slumped into the back of his chair and flagged down a waitress to get a refill. "This was always coming, of course."

"Hmm?"

"This war. It didn't have to be Russia, but _someone_ was going to do something stupid eventually. The Hemicycle is too weak to control its member states. It also _cannot_ allow Russia to set a precedent of one nation unilaterally dragging us all into a war."

"Thus their hands are tied," Leila concluded. "My first instinct is to ask what purpose the EU serves if we don't stand together, but I see your point. It's quite the conundrum."

"Ah, but you have a point as well. What purpose _does_ the EU serve if we don't stand together in times of trouble?" Gene stopped there and looked expectantly at Leila.

"Well…there's the economic benefits of having a single currency and effectively no trade barriers. Cultural exchange, too. And, of course, we have more weight in world affairs when we're perceived as a single massive entity. I suspect that's not what you were getting at, however."

Gene withdrew his wallet from his pocket. From it, he removed each in turn a five euro banknote, two-thousand rubles, a hundred Swiss francs, and a UK pound sterling. Thus arrayed on the table, he swept his hand out in display.

" _I_ only use euros," Leila said. As an afterthought, she then added, "And Britannian pounds on occasion."

"But…"

"But the evidence speaks for itself." Leila placed each banknote into a pile so that the euros sat at the top. "From the outside, we look like a single power. However, when you peer beneath the surface–" She swept her hand across the pile to reveal the mixed currencies below. "–we do not act as if we were."

Gene nodded. "I don't suppose you've ever read the Articles of Confederation."

"Which version? The one the colonial government adopted during Washington's Rebellion?" A nod met the question. "I haven't read the text itself, but I know enough about the Continental Congress to appreciate the significant influence its failings had upon the French Revolution. That _is_ what you're leading up to, is it not?"

"It is. I would not go so far as say the EU's central government is as weak as the Continental Congress. Honestly, you would be hard pressed to create as nonfunctional a government and still call it a central authority. But we do suffer from similar problems. We pretend to be a federation, but in truth, we're more of a confederate system."

"That's not necessarily bad," Leila said. "Centralising authority has its own dangers. There _is_ a reason, after all, why Napoleon's grand dream of a unified Europe failed."

"Yes, he fell victim to one of the classic blunders."

"Never get involved in a land war in Asia?"

Bemused, Gene arched his eyebrows. "Not exactly, no. Invading Russia in the winter. Or more precisely, he overextended both at home and abroad. The Republic wasn't ready for an emperor. It's client states were arguably not ready to be folded into even a federal system either. Napoleon needed time to consolidate his gains and allow the people to settle into the new power structure. You should consider studying Caesar Augustus's rise to power."

With tongue in cheek, Leila spoke in a haughty tone. "How dare you suggest your first citizen hasn't read her classics."

Gene chuckled. "My apologies, Little Duchess. Regardless, we've inherited an aversion to a strong central European government. I feel that crippling weakness everyday in the military. I do my best to foster a sense of unity within my troops and administration, but our divisions, both cultural and bureaucratic, run deep. Funding is a needless hassle. RTD is a nightmare to organise. Logistics…" He shook his head. "I'm glad they're not my direct responsibility. And nothing is more frustrating than a surprise language barrier five minutes before an operation."

"I imagine many of your problems would go away if the Hemicycle could directly levy taxes."

"Less than you might think," Gene said. He sighed. "Anyway, enough politics. I have an opportunity for you."

"Oh?" Leila set down her tea and leant forward with interest. "What kind of opportunity?"

"The kind that gets you out of the house for an extended period of time."

Interest had evolved into desire. "Tell me more."

"How closely have you been following the war?"

 _The war?_ This was probably about humanitarian work, then. "Casually. Why?"

"Have you been reading about the Knights Errant?"

Leila scoffed. "Is that what they're calling the Commoner Prince's merry band now?"

"Yes…" An oddly tentative response for Gene. "You obviously have a strong opinion on the boy. Care to share?"

In all fairness, Leila had spent little time analysing the prince's actions or the war in general. Even so, she had read enough in the news. "Honestly, I'm appalled he hasn't been caught yet. He's treating this conflict like some grand adventure."

"That's not entirely uncommon," Gene commented. His tone clearly conveyed that this was merely a fact. "Even just a century ago before The Great War, he wouldn't have been short of good company. To say nothing of what happens after, the introduction of knightmares and the decreasing human cost of war has…shall we say regressed some views."

Leila said nothing to that.

"Of course, Britannia has also never suffered such a brutal, stagnant, pointless campaign. Indeed, they grew rich off the back of our suffering and probably laughed about it."

"Enough. I understand my own cultural heritage, Uncle Gene." Leila sighed and nursed her tea. "My point stands. The prince is treating this like a game. I've read enough to know he's _showboating_. I mean, he went out of his way to strike just outside of Moscow for no strategic reason and then vanished before _an army_ could descend upon him. He might as well have carved 'Lelouch vi Britannia was here' in the centre of the Kremlin. He clearly thinks this is all a lark."

"Perhaps he does."

Leila paused at the enigmatic tone. "What?" The only answer she got was a shrug and the silent command to come to her own conclusion – whatever that was supposed to be. "I'm missing something important, I take it." A slight nod. "The obvious first guess, then, is that the prince is not as arrogant as I believe him to be."

Almost idly – but no doubt only seemingly so – Gene remarked, "There's a distinction to be made between arrogance and justified self-confidence."

"I doubt you brought him up just to make that point."

Gene nodded his head in recognition of the fact.

"Is this something I'm never going to guess because I haven't been paying much attention?"

"Hmm…" Gene's attention turned inward as he stared up at the ceiling. "I shouldn't think so. But it _is_ certainly something a casual outside observer would miss."

"Alright. Then if you're intimating that the prince isn't an arrogant braggart, there must be some purpose to his self-presentation as such."

That drew no reaction from Gene who merely looked on impassively.

"I guess he could be trying to make himself _seem_ cocky to spring a trap. That's hardly some big revelation, though. It has to be something more. It could be a media bias. I read with a sceptical eye, of course, but even with a large grain of salt, it doesn't make him look much better."

"It _is_ easy to portray him as such. He is, in fact, taking bold, impudent risks."

"And they're working…" It had to require considerable skill to continuously taunt, provoke, and outmanoeuvre the Russians. Why would someone so clearly capable not be at the front? Why waste time faffing about behind enemy lines? With her attention drawn to the contradiction, an uneasy feeling settled into the pit of Leila's stomach. Something she believed was very wrong.

"Perhaps consider a different point of view," Gene suggested.

 _A different point of view?_ An abhorrent thought occurred. Leila picked up her phone and searched for _Britannian_ news articles covering the prince's campaign in western Russia. She skimmed through a few and immediately found a very different opinion of the prince. Where the EU had painted him as vainglorious and hubristic, Britannia portrayed him as a genius, someone who brought unlikely victory after unlikely victory against impossible odds because he _really was just that good_. Quotes and stories from his own men behind enemy lines had even leaked back to the homeland and fanned the flames. That _couldn't_ have happened without his knowledge and at least tacit consent if not open encouragement.

In contrast, the actual leader of the campaign, Prince Laertes, was dragged though the mud. His slow, grinding offensive in Siberia – nevermind that it was probably the right strategy and that he was _winning_ – paled in comparison to the Black Prince's success. This was _exactly_ the reason her parents had left Britannia for the EU and abandoned their duchy – well, one among several.

"Politics." Leila spat the word. "It's all just politics. He's killing people, fighting this war, humiliating his own brother, risking the lives of his own soldiery just for his own aggrandisement."

Before Leila could build up to a good rant, Gene interrupted. "I don't doubt that you're right. It does seem to be his primary motivation. But" – he reached for his bag – "he's causing considerably more damage than the media likes to portray." A file labelled confidential fell onto the table. "He is _exceptional_ , Leila. Whatever else you think of him, underestimate him at your own peril."

The hard stare Gene sent her way made Leila take a mental step back. He was right, she realised. The prince's motivations did not denigrate the frankly absurd amount of talent and preparation that must have gone into his plans. She placed a hand on the folder in front of her. "Should I be seeing this?"

"No, but have a read anyway."

Leila huffed but didn't reject the opportunity. She pulled the folder to herself and perused its contents. What she found within was a truly staggering amount of losses. To her mild surprise, it consisted mostly of material rather than lives. In pragmatic terms, that was probably worse. The lost knightmares alone must amount to billions of euros, a not insignificant fraction of Russia's total military budget.

Included in the documents was a map listing the order and locations of the prince's attacks alongside the approximate size of each engagement. None of the battles involved more than an estimated hundred men on the Britannian side. She bit at her lip and considered the map more closely. Having never plotted the locations herself, this was entirely new information to Leila. They dotted the landscape seemingly at random.

 _No._ Leila shook her head. _They probably_ are _random. You can't predict where he's going to appear next if he's rolling dice to decide. His campaign has the luxury of not needing to defend territory, so he can go anywhere._ Her brows furrowed as she considered the number of attacks. _How long has it been since he first resurfaced? May, was it? There's too many battles. This frequency is absurd._

"I don't understand," Leila said mostly to herself. "How is he moving around so quickly? He's engaging the Russians almost daily. Perhaps _he_ has the energy to keep that up, but he can't maintain that pace and not expect his men to be fatigued. And if he's moving in a group that big that fast, _someone_ would have noticed them by now."

Leila glanced up to see a proud, expectant smile on Gene's face. No explanation would be forthcoming from him, then, but she must be on to something. She considered the logical implications that followed from assuming she was right, and just like that it became obvious.

"He's _not_ moving in one big group. He has _hundreds_ of people with him. They disperse after a battle individually or in small groups to prepare for their next fight in a dozen different locations while he moves on to the immediate next conflict as quickly as he can. He presents the appearance of a small, highly mobile elite strike force when the reality is the complete opposite. It's no wonder no one has found him! It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack."

"Brava! Exactly. On average, I expect his knights fight no more than once a week and no less than once a fortnight. As such, he likely has a fighting force between seven-hundred and fourteen-hundred strong plus reserves and logistical support, all of whom are capable of blending into the citizenry."

Leila certainly understood now why Gene had called the prince exceptional. He was going to bleed Russia dry if no one stopped him.

"And now we come to the opportunity I have for you."

Leila faltered a moment as her mind shifted gears. She'd almost forgotten about – her eyes widened. "No," she said too quietly to be remarked upon.

"My hands are tied. I can't interfere in this personally or send my subordinates. But then you're neither."

"No. No, no, no. There _must_ be older, more experienced strategists you can unearth as a proxy."

"You're older than the prince," Gene casually observed. When that earned him nothing more than an impassive stare, he admitted, "By less than a month."

Leila rolled her eyes.

"Regardless, I did not bring this to you on a whim. You're capable. You're a free agent. I _know_ you've been actively searching for a chance like this."

"No. Absolutely not. I can't. What do you expect me to do with Ayano if I go gallivanting across the continent?"

"Take her with you. I'm not expecting you to take on more than an advisory role."

"An advisory role?" Leila echoed incredulously. The mere thought of it was absurd. No one would listen to a little girl. That might fly with Britannia royalty, but not in the EU. "Uncle Gene, this is a terrible idea."

"You underestimate yourself."

"It's not about – why are you so set on this?"

"Why do you think?"

"No," Leila stated bluntly. "No games. If you want me to even consider this, tell me or I walk out the door. It's no skin off my nose if I do."

Gene regarded Leila with a sceptical expression but ultimately relented. "A few reasons beyond the aforementioned. You're capable, but you lack experience. I don't expect you to fare particularly well against the prince, but you'll learn. He'll see to that well enough."

"Thanks for the load of confidence," Leila muttered.

"I also want to see your star rise. I know you want to follow in your father's footsteps. This will get your foot in the door."

"Do you not see the hypocrisy in that?" Not ten minutes ago she'd railed against the prince for that exact same motivation. Gene just shrugged.

"Lastly, well, I'm not getting any younger. This will be your world before too long. Whether it be in the field or at the negotiation table, I doubt this will be the last time you tangle with the prince. I'd prefer your first time not be when there are stakes at play where we can hope to affect the outcome."

"That's…" Despite how darkly pragmatic it was, Gene wasn't exactly wrong. "–terrible," Leila weakly finished.

"I play with the hand I'm dealt. Sometimes our sensibilities must take a backseat to practicalities."

Leila said nothing. The silence stretched.

"Oh!" Gene said. The tension in the air broke as he pulled Leila out of her thoughts. "Let's not forget that you command the loyalty of Anna Clément."

"I'd prefer if you not speak of my friends as if they were pieces on my board."

"Leila, you want to be a politician."

The girl in question sighed. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she said, "Yeah, yeah," and picked up her tea for a sip.

"Regardless, she'll let you use her toy if you ask to borrow it."

"I suppose." Anna wasn't under a government contract, so that wouldn't be a problem. She'd likely be glad for the opportunity to test her work in field conditions as well. If it were in working condition, that was. The last time Leila had spoken with her about the Alexander project, there were a few bugs, to put it gently, that needed fixing.

"Leila." Gene waited until he had her full attention before he continued. "I did mean it when I say I didn't bring this to you on a whim. I personally matched wits with the Flash on several occasions. If I could go back and fight her when she was still trying to figure out which way to point a gun, I would."

Despite herself, Leila chuckled at the image that evoked.

"All signs point to her son becoming a worthy successor in the coming years made worse by the division of mind and body." When Leila hummed questioningly, Gene rifled through the documents on the table for a photo of a beautiful girl on the cusp of becoming a gorgeous woman. "Countess Kallen Stadtfeld, his personal knight and probable lover. Don't let her appearance fool you. Even if you avoid the thorns, you'll find the rose's petals to be razors."

 _She hardly looks dangerous. Then again, neither does Ayano._ Leila stared at the picture of the girl dressed remarkably similarly to the Knights of the Round. She would have mistaken it for their uniform were it not for the near opposite colour scheme. _Lover, eh?_ She tucked that useful fact away for later. _Wouldn't be surprised. Even the girls must want her._

"So?"

"I'll think about it." Leila held up a hand to forestall whatever Gene was about to say. "I'm not promising any more than that. I'll speak with Anna and Ayano and decide afterwards."

It was with a resigned voice that Gene said, "Very well. Just remember, the prince isn't waiting for you. Please don't dawdle." When Leila pushed the folder back to him, he added, "Keep it. I brought it for you."

Leila nodded and tucked it away next to her but otherwise banished the subject from her mind for now.

* * *

 **Champ de Mars  
** **Paris, France  
** **July 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

"And that's how my day has been so far." Leila basked in the afternoon sun, eyes closed, atop a picnic blanket. Shifting to get more comfortable, she bumped her wicker basket and sent her precariously balanced phone tumbling to the ground. "Sorry," she said as she replaced it. "Anyway, how's yours?"

"Oh, as always, never with as much drama as yours," Anna teased. "I'm just spending the holiday with family."

Leila lazily hummed in acknowledgement. "Suppose I am too."

"Ayano is there? Why didn't you say so? Hi, Ayano!"

"No, she's not–"

"Hey, Anna." Leila cracked open her eyes to find the girl in question standing not two steps away. She had excellent timing – and a new blue velvet sun hat that matched her camisole. "What's up?"

"Just listening to my favourite drama."

Leila snorted indignantly.

"Anyway, I'll think about what you've told me. Come to my lab tomorrow. We'll discuss it then. Have fun, you two." The line hung up, and Anna left the conversation.

"'Have fun,' she says." Ayano glanced around. "You are so depressing. This is where your dad died, isn't it?"

"Other end of the park."

That clearly did not satisfy Ayano. "It's the same thing."

Leila shrugged. She liked this place, and she wasn't about to let bad memories, terrorists, Britannian assassins, or political rivals – the mystery of which of the latter three had caused the former remained unsolved – take it away from her.

"Whatever." Ayano stole a sandwich from the basket and sat down on the blanket. "So what did the general want?"

After a few moments of reflection, Leila summarised her entire conversation with Gene as, "He wants to prepare me to be his heiress."

"Huh. Makes sense. You're the closest thing to family he has, right?"

"He has a few cousins…"

Ayano blatantly ignored that, which was fair, and asked, "So what training did he have in mind? I assume it's not balancing books on your head and proper curtsying."

"Neither is really that difficult." Leila chuckled as Ayano scoffed in contempt. "He actually wants to send me to Russia as a strategic adviser."

"What? An adviser?" Ayano laughed. "You bought that?"

Head cocked to the side, Leila asked, "What do you mean?"

"You have serious control issues, Sis. Learnt to avoid stepping on them the hard way. I give you a week, _maybe_ two, before someone fucks up and you move to topple him from power."

"That's not true." _Is it? No, certainly not._

"Just wait and see. Anyway, please tell me I get to come with."

"I haven't decided if I'll go yet," Leila said. Before Ayano could protest, she added, "I intended to speak with you and Anna about it, but it seems I already have your vote."

Ayano's eyes lit up. "Anna is coming with? Does that mean I get the Alexander?"

"Absolutely not! Ayano, you're _fourteen_. _If_ we go, I'm not fielding you. Especially not in that death trap."

A victorious smirk crawled up Ayano's face. "I'll tell Anna you said that if you don't," she sang.

"She'll never believe you."

"What if I was secretly recording this conversation?"

Leila called the bluff. " _I_ don't believe you."

Ayano reached into her pocket for her phone. She turned it on and tapped it ominously. She glanced up, still grinning. She hovered over the play button.

"Do it," Leila commanded, unmoved by the display.

Music filled the air. "Stay shigachi na imeiji darake no~"

"Yeah," Leila said. "That's what I thought."

Ayano tossed her phone aside disappointed.

"Don't make threats you can't follow through on. Your credibility will suffer."

"Whatever."

Crisis averted, Leila reached for a sandwich of her own and happily dug in. A few bites later, she asked, "Is this song from something?"

"A dead film series. Maman was a huge fan of the original anime. Well, the first series, at least. She hated the sequels."

It wasn't often such a wistful tone entered Ayano's voice. Leila immediately picked up on it and made a decision. "Do you have a copy?"

"Probably on VHS somewhere. Why?"

"Want to order pizza tonight and binge watch the whole series?"

Ayano smiled innocently – a little _too_ innocently. "I'd love to. My copy is in Japanese, but I'm sure there are at least English subs floating around the Internet."

* * *

 **Malcal Manor  
** **Paris, France  
** **July 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

"There are _how many_ episodes of this!"

"Just wait until we get to Myotismon. That's when the show gets really good. He's the best."

Leila relaxed a little and returned to idly braiding Ayano's hair. "When does he come in?"

"Oh, around episode twenty-five or twenty-six, I think."

The urge to scream grew.

* * *

 **Clément Manufacturing Alexander Lab  
** **Greater Paris, France  
** **July 15, 2016 a.t.b.**

On the outskirts of town abutting the forest stood a warehouse. A small office of an entirely different architectural style adjoined it on one side and a larger one of a third fashion sat on the opposite end. After driving a kilometre down a lonely dirt road, one could veer left to reach a hardware shop and right to find an electronics shop further off. It was the perfect location for a mechanical savant with far too much money and too little patience to wait for basic parts.

This had once been the solitary haunt of Anna Clément, the laboratory where her parents let her indulge her interest in robotics unimpeded with no one around for her to bother or houses to set on fire. That state of affairs had abruptly changed last year when her father stopped by and realised exactly what she'd been working on. Now she had a team to do her bidding whether that be research, someone to bounce ideas off of, or just plain manual labour.

Even though she was still in charge, it was probably for the best that Anna had adult supervision now.

Leila knocked on the front door of Anna's office just in case and let herself in after only silence met her. With nothing living inside besides herself and Anna's bug collection, she moved into the warehouse proper. Moving past the clutter of shelves and machinery, she came into an empty open area with two familiar faces – well, familiar welding masks – working over what appeared to be part of a knightmare arm.

"Hilda, Chloe." The two women looked up from their work in sync. "Is Anna around?"

Hilda pushed up her mask and pulled her glasses from her pocket. "Yeah, one sec." She stepped outside through the massive garage door in the side of the building and shouted, "Hey, Boss! Leila is here!" The woman had an impressive pair of lungs.

A very faint, "Okay," carried back through the forest.

While this happened, Leila took the opportunity to ask, "Chloe, while Anna isn't here, can you give me a completely honest opinion on how the Alexander is coming along?"

The auburn haired woman removed her mask and set aside her arc welder. "We've actually made a lot of progress while you two were away at school. We've fixed most of the transformation and balance issues. We found a decent test pilot, too. Not much one for conversation, but there haven't been any incidents yet stemming from user error."

"Have you managed to incorporate an ejection system yet?" Aside from the mechanical malfunctions, that was Leila's biggest complaint about the machine.

"We've tried, and we haven't given up, but it keeps getting in the way. We'd need to make the frame larger to fit it, which creates entirely new problems."

Leila frowned but didn't comment. She'd long since given her opinion on the matter and knew Anna's team had no doubt given the task their all.

"Boss told us about the general's offer," Hilda said as she rejoined the conversation. "If you wanted to put the Alexander in the field, you could. We'd need to fabricate its armour and equipment, but we could have that done in a week or two."

"I see…" To be honest, Leila had expected the Alexander to need months of work. This opened up more options. "How well does it fare against Sutherlands?"

"Akito – that's our test pilot – hasn't lost a duel yet in simulations. We've even had him face the whole team at once, and he won." Chloe then admitted, "Although I wouldn't call any of us expert devicers or tacticians."

Hilde added, "The Alexander as is surpasses the Sutherland in practically every capacity. Right now, it's probably straddling the boundary between a sixth and seventh gen knightmare. It's not invincible, of course, but it's effective. Beyond that, it's up to you to use it properly."

"Could it take down a Knight of the Round?" Leila suspected Countess Stadtfeld had an equivalent level of skill after reading up on her.

Chloe and Hilde looked to each other. The former spoke first. "In ideal circumstances, Akito could do it. I don't know about in the field."

"Against the Flash's successors? That's clearly what she's asking."

"Expertise only goes so far. At some point, the technological gap becomes too great to overcome."

"I'm not sure if that applies in this case. The Alexander is good, but it isn't _that_ advanced."

"Perhaps."

"Regardless, out there" – Hilde gesticulated in a general eastward direction – "you're not fighting gentlemanly duels. If the Alexander is too much for a direct confrontation, they'll adapt and change strategies."

The back and forth between the two scientists came to an abrupt end when Anna arrived and immediately wrapped Leila in an enthusiastic hug from behind.

As she plucked a few loose stands of her friend's long violet hair from her face, Leila dryly said, "It's good to see you too, Anna. How long has it been? Six days? Seven? Eight?"

"Shush, you. Where's Ayano?"

"At home in a food coma." _And also a little sick._ Leila had asked a friend to watch over her and keep her out of trouble. "We were up late last night watching anime and eating pizza."

"Sounds fun."

"Eh…" Without Ayano's nostalgia goggles, it had been an ordeal. "It was all very monster of the week. I will say we stopped for the night just as I was finally getting into it. Halfway through, it decided to tackle some surprisingly mature situations for a kids' show."

"I hope Ayano has expressed how good a sister you are at some point." Unsurprisingly, Anna correctly deduced the situation for what it was. "Now come. We have important affairs of state to discuss."

Anna led Leila back into her office and closed the door behind them. She sat her friend down and then landed on her own swivel chair with enough torque to spin a full revolution. She paused a moment before spinning around once more. After that, she suddenly slammed her palms down upon her desk with an unusually serious expression.

"Let's go to war. When do we leave?"

"Huh?" Leila studied her friend's face. "You're unexpectedly gung-ho about this."

"Ah, well…" That was as far as Anna got before her mask crumbled. "I thought it'd help you decide."

"I was more hoping for a debate of pros and cons."

"I'm not going to help you look for excuses to refuse something I know you want."

That gave Leila pause. "Excuses?"

"Do you _want_ me to psychoanalyse you? You're a perfectionist. You don't want to miss this chance, but you don't feel fully prepared, so even though no one ever is and no plan survives contact with the enemy, you're dilly-dallying."

There was more truth to that than Leila felt comfortable admitting to herself, especially in light of Ayano's accusation the previous day. In fact, she now recalled the time she'd torn down Davy Cuvier when his science project nearly sent their professor to the hospital. She didn't want to be Davy Cuvier. Maybe Anna and Ayano had a point.

"As an engineer, I deal in good enoughs. And Leila, you are good enough. If you want to go, go. I'm up for it. I can only imagine Ayano is as well."

"I see…" Anna gave a decent pep talk. "What about–"

"Excuse."

Leila frowned. "I wasn't–"

"Excuse for an excuse."

An exasperated huff this time. "I'm feeling very peer pressured right now."

"Evasion."

"Fine! I want to go. That doesn't mean I should."

"No," Anna said, "but shoulds rarely get us anywhere. Calculating the maximising argument from an infinite set of actions is nontrivial for all nontrivial evaluation functions. Often, it doesn't even exist, only a theoretical supremum."

Leila arched her eyebrows. "I'm going to assume that was maths for don't worry about it."

"Yes, within a reasonable approximation." Leila rolled her eyes to which Anna grinned. "For what it's worth, I think you should accept the general's offer."

"Noted. Now as I _was_ going to ask, is your test pilot available to go to war or would we need to find another devicer?"

"Well, Akito turned sixteen just last week."

Leila waved a hand dismissively. "Say no more. We'll find someone else. Uncle Gene might be able to point us toward someone not associated with the military. That or strong-arm the Russians into assigning us an Ace."

It was at that point after organising her thoughts aloud when Leila noticed Anna's knowing smile. "What?"

"We _will_ find someone else?" Anna pointed out. "Sounds like someone has already decided to go and is busy making plans."

"A slip of the tongue."

Anna humoured Leila with an, "Of course."

"How is the Alexander coming along, by the way?"

Eyes alight and successfully distracted, Anna immediately launched into an epic ode to her beloved metal giant.

* * *

 **Malcal Manor  
** **Paris, France  
** **July 16, 2016 a.t.b.**

The grand dining room of Malcal Manor stood resplendent as a reflection upon its owners. Renaissance art decorated each of the four walls. A golden chandelier hung in the centre of the room, immaculate from its recent dusting. The light it cast shimmered and danced amongst its crystals before bathing the room in a soft glow. Below, masters of their craft had sculpted the dining table, a gorgeous antique that had once resided at Versailles itself during the reign of Louis XIV.

For tonight's feast, as always, only the finest would do. The silverware was real silver, of course. The china had a long and storied history oft shared when guests frequented the manor. Servants waited not out of sight but most definitely out of mind at the side for when they were called upon, and all of them would be needed tonight. The entire family had gathered.

Odette Malcal sat dressed to impress regardless of the lack of company at the southern end of the table. She spoke with an aristocratic air about her as she shared the day's gossip with the family. She had a good eye for scandal and a gift for public relations that had ruined more than one person standing in the way of the family's rise to power. No one could say she lacked ambition. But the prize she most coveted despite its pointlessness remained out of grasp: entry into the peerage. It meant nothing in most EU states, but the desire remained. Having Leila marry into the family would be as close as she ever got.

Along the sides were the three brothers, Ioan, Daniel, and Stéphane. Ioan, the eldest, sat at his father's left. Like their mother, he was dressed in formal clothes that admittedly made him look terribly handsome. No doubt he intended to spend the night out later at one party or another, ostensibly for political reasons but in reality likely just to flirt.

Directly across from him, Leila ate daintily with all the grace and etiquette that had been instilled into her from the very day she first understood what it meant to be impolite. Not that she was being particularly respectful as she ignored her adoptive mother's endless droning. Plans flitted about her mind, quickly made, refined, discarded, and recycled. Moreover, the bouillabaisse – gloriously mismatched with a chicken breast with truffled risotto and foie gras at its left and right – was delicious today and far more worthy of her attention. She made a mental note to compliment the chef later tonight.

At the northern end of the table at Leila's left was Claude Malcal, the head of the family and nearly the head of state. He was not a stern man nor cold. Most would call him handsome and jovial. In fact, his affability, his willingness to listen, and his dedication to the state made him the sane and rational vote for most Parisians. He was also ruthless to his enemies and ambitious enough to put politics before his family. He and his wife were well matched and a successful team.

As dinner drew to a close and shifted to dessert, the topic of conversation changed as well. Supplanting the lighter frivolities of the day, more weighty matters arose.

"Leila," Claude said. She looked up from her crème caramel. "General Smilas stopped by my office today. He and I had a most interesting conversation."

"Oh? He did the same with me just the other day. We spoke of the war at some length. He seemed very…frustrated."

Claude chuckled. "An apt description, although desperate might be more appropriate. Would you care to guess what favour he asked of me?"

"Desperate?" To maintain the status quo in the family dynamic, Leila feigned ignorance. She didn't want to give anyone even the suspicion that she might have or be establishing her own power base. Why, she might very well be able to break away from the family if so. That would be just terrible. "My first thought would be he wants you to tell me to ask Anna to let him borrow her work. Someone from the government has come to pester her nearly everyday since this mess started. But then I imagine he would have asked me directly instead if that were the case."

"You're correct in both cases. He intimated as such as regards your friend, but that was not the full extent of it. No, he wanted to borrow you."

Leila arched her eyebrows sceptically. "In what way does that qualify as a favour?"

"Apparently, he wishes to take command over the war, but the Hemicycle has forbidden his direct involvement. To get around this, he wants to send you as his proxy."

Ioan snorted, more out of derision than amusement for those who knew his tells. "Desperate, Father? Why not mad?"

"While I would normally disagree – the general earned his position, after all – I must admit I'm sure there are better choices than me." In that, at least, Leila had not lied. But Gene had gone so far as to explicitly state that the situation was unsalvageable. At that point, it truly didn't matter who he sent or if he sent anyone at all.

"I should think so," Odette said. "The battlefield is no place for a young lady."

The image of Countess Stadtfeld overhearing that declaration came to mind. Whatever else could be said of the woman, Leila was sure the countess's response would be as amusing to her as it would be unpleasant for Odette. She stifled a chuckle.

"Indeed, that was my first reaction as well." Claude gave his wife a look that Leila recognised as their conspiratorial 'don't interfere; we'll talk later'. Subtle and private, she doubted any of the brothers caught it or if they even knew it existed. "However, he made a compelling case and satisfied my concerns about Leila's safety." And Gene had no doubt promised a favour or two in return. "As such, I've decided to indulge his request."

Leila ignored the outbreak of varyingly degrading protestations around her and the concerned looks on the servants in the background, although she appreciated the latter. Had she not wanted this, she'd be fuming inside at not being given a choice. _Seriously, who sends their underage daughter off to war without even asking for her input?_

That aside, Leila adopted a mildly distressed expression as though she'd seen this coming but hadn't wanted to believe it and certainly hadn't preplanned for it. It might be a little suspicious, but the entire family knew she possessed a sharp mind even if it sometimes went unacknowledged. It was not in her nature to act otherwise. "I see," she said curtly, allowing the barest touch of indignation to enter her voice. "How long do I have to make arrangements?"

"You're to leave this coming Monday. The general will collect you from here in the morning."

"Very well. I'll inform Ayano to pack for our departure." Leila paused a moment, seemingly hesitant. "I have my reservations about this, Father, but I shall do as you command" _as always_. That was what good girls did, and as she had learnt the hard way, good, obedient girls were left mostly to their own devices. "May I be excused? I feel as though I'll be hard pressed to find the time to prepare as is."

Claude nodded. "Go. This is a big opportunity. Should nothing else of consequence occur, you'll still have been placed in contact with many powerful men. I would hate to see you unready."

 _A subtle warning?_ After a moment, Leila decided that it likely was. _But is it to not get any ideas or to not miss the chance to rub shoulders for the family?_ Either way, she was careful not to break character until she reached her room where she knew she would have her privacy. Ayano sat waiting for her.

"Well?"

"We leave Monday morning."

Ayano held no compunctions against victorious grins.

* * *

 **Norivny, Russia  
** **July 16, 2016 a.t.b.**

Lelouch felt the bed shift as Kallen pulled back the covers and finally came to join him. They needed a break sometime soon. Both of them were working themselves to the limit and picking up each other's slack when they collapsed. Perhaps they should cancel tomorrow's operation and take the day off. They could return and complete it in a few weeks if they wanted; it wasn't particularly time sensitive or essential, and they could afford to give Russia a little breathing room.

"Hey, are you awake?" Kallen whispered.

"Mm-hmm."

"We may have a problem."

That brought Lelouch to instant alertness. He rolled over to come face to face with Kallen. "What is it?"

"You know how you suggested I learn to keep my geass always on?"

Lelouch's brow furrowed. They knew almost nothing about the power, barely scraping together a few lacklustre guesses from the vague feelings and instincts it'd implanted directly into Kallen's mind and some minor testing. "Did you…" – he searched for the right words – "run out?"

"No. The opposite, actually. I can't turn it off."

Without an expert to consult, Lelouch had no idea how to respond to that. "That's a good problem to have?" he hazarded.

"I suppose." Kallen fell silent. Clearly, she had no idea what to think either. This could be a good development or a sign of danger to come. Geass affected her mind directly; if it was growing in strength, what else would it do to her?

"Does it feel different?"

"No. Just…stuck. It's hard to describe."

"Do _you_ feel different?"

Kallen pursed her lips but shook her head.

"If–" Lelouch could hardly believe he was about to suggest this. "If you feel the need for whatever reason, we can–" He hesitated again but forced himself to press on. "–speak with the emperor." There was no one else they knew who they suspected could address their concerns.

Kallen didn't respond for the longest time, not orally, at least. A myriad of emotions worked their way silently across her face.

"No." Kallen wrapped her arms around Lelouch and cuddled into him in an approximation of a hug. "I'm not that worried. But I'll keep it in mind. We can talk more in the morning."

"Alright. Goodnight, Kallen."

"Goodnight, Lelouch."

* * *

 **A/N:** I've been waiting over a year to finally add that Leila tag to this story. I'm glad her plot thread has finally entered into the weave. The Malcal family drama is a lot more complicated than she gives them credit and thematically intersects with Charles, Marianne, and V.V.'s plotline far more so than Lelouch and Kallen's or Marrybell's does.

Anyway, if I have any French readers amongst my audience who want to help me with idioms, culture, and such, send me a PM. The same goes for Japanese, although I'm slightly less hopeless there. Writing across cultures is a nontrivial exercise, and I'm not even going to pretend there isn't a strong English lens over every word I put to paper. That's not necessarily bad given that I'm writing in English primarily for English readers, but there's a fine line to walk between readability and flavour which I'm nowhere close to straddling.

Next time: _Stage 19 - Throwing Down the Gauntlet_ in which Ayano says, "I told you so."

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	22. R1 S19 - Throwing Down the Gauntlet

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 19 - Throwing Down the Gauntlet

 **Nakano Ghetto, Area 11  
** **July 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

 _They always told us to use the terrain to our advantage. You know the basics, I'm sure. Find cover. Force the enemy through choke points. Mud is bad, especially for knightmares. Keep your land spinners on firm land. We all get told the story of the unfortunately named Sir Henry 'Sitting' Duck who tried to cross a landslide during the Second Pacific War. That sort of thing. But the prince? It'd be an insult to phrase what he does so plainly. He doesn't use the terrain. He commands it. The weather too. Were we born into a simpler time, I'd call it magic._

 _Some of us had witnessed him weaving his sorcery before, but the Battle of Saint Petersburg was my first experience with it. We'd been waiting for an opportunity to strike there for weeks. In jest, the prince had said we'd know the right moment when we saw it. Most of us (or at least I did) translated that to mean we'd get to it when we'd get to it. Let me try to paint a picture of what actually happened._

 _Imagine yourself snuggled in a warm bed. It's the middle of the night when you get the call. "It's time," they say. "Dress for rain," they say. Outside, there's a heavy fog hanging over the bay giving the coast an eerie sense of mystery. You can feel the unease in the air. It's quiet. Too quiet for Saint Petersburg. Are you late? Did you miss the battle? Is this what's left?_

 _Impossible, obviously. The prince is good, but he's not_ that _good. There's no way you missed an entire battle. When you rush out the door, it never occurs to you to check the forecast._

 _Four hours later, you're outside the city sitting not in a knightmare but a tank. Outdated junk. If anyone in a knightmare spots you, that's it. You're dead. There's not even an escort to save your sorry arse, just more tanks._

 _But then the storm rolls in like a vengeful god. If you thought the fog was bad, the rain is blinding. The winds of the squall rock your sixty-tonne metal monstrosity hard enough that, for a moment, you fear it might turn over._

 _Cue the explosions. You think you can see little flashes of light in the distance across the bay. Your heart stills as you realise that your entire platoon parked itself on the wrong side of town. In a panic, you rush to the controls, but no. Your commander tells you to hold firm. He assures you you're not in the wrong place. The prince knows what he's on about._

 _And then it happens. The sea drains. Not all the way, but enough. The order is given. You're to cross the bay and smash into the enemy's rear while the prince keeps their attention on himself. In the thunderous torrent of rain and the howling winds, they'll never see it coming._

 _They didn't._

 _When we were done, we disengaged and slipped away in the rain. That might have been the most terrifying part of the battle. The gales would sometimes send us tumbling head over heel if we didn't grab onto something. In the end, we lost a lot of material and left behind even more, but we'd inflicted a blow so heavy I'd bet the Russians felt it all the way across the country thousands of miles away at the Siberian front._

 _The next day, John taught me about reverse storm surges. Apparently, the prince has a couple meteorologists checking the weather for him or something. I don't know. Personally, I think the countess is clairvoyant. I saw her casually nudge Reeves out of a sniper's line of fire the other day like it was just another Tuesday morning. Didn't even look at him. Just nudged him and went on her way back into the fray. The prince even has a standing order for her commands to override his unless he countermands them. No seriously, he does. He claimed we had the real Witch of Britannia on our side in jest. Her reaction when she first overheard that name being thrown around a few days later was priceless. A certain prince slept on the couch that night, I'm sure. Somehow I doubt Princess Cornelia will be sad to see the title go. I'll be honest, though. I don't question it. I'm just glad she's looking out for us. The last noble I served under, well, let's just say he died a well-deserved death._

 _Anyway, I digress. Rumour has it the prince dumped all of his plans for the day and rushed to Saint Pet–_

A knock came at the door to Naoto's flat. He set aside the letter to home turned news article and called out for his guest to enter. In the process, he woke Naomi from her nap. Not that it brought his pillow duties to an end, it seemed.

"Well, don't you two look comfortable," Kaname observed, a teasing tone in his voice.

With all the maturity of a grown woman, Naomi stuck her tongue out. For his own part, Naoto simply asked, "Can't a man enjoy his day off?"

"Nope. Kururugi-san brought a girl to meet you."

Naomi sighed. "All the more reason to bring Britannia down. I suppose you should go see what the princess wants if she came all the way down here herself."

"Do I have to?" Naoto curled his arms around Naomi to prevent her from getting up. She giggled and put up only a token resistance at best.

Meanwhile, Kaname said, "It's not her."

"Huh? Then who?"

"I think they mentioned they were cousins. She introduced herself as Sumeragi Kaguya."

Naoto's eyes widened. He recognised the name as a member of the NAC and once one of the leading families of Japan. If he recalled correctly, she even claimed some close relation to the deceased Emperor of Japan. What could she possibly want with him? More importantly, why would Marrybell tacitly endorse this meeting with Suzaku's presence?

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

 **Dolgoprudny Military Base  
** **Moscow, Russia  
** **July 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

Leila hummed a cheery tune as she swept through the halls. She twirled an electronic key about her finger by its strap. This was long overdue, and she'd finally been given a good enough excuse to get her way. Back in the small but reasonably comfortable quarters she shared with Ayano, she found the girl still in bed but halfway awake. She'd hoped to do this covertly and leave Ayano to discover it sometime later, but such was life. Pranking was not her speciality anyway.

A tired moan met Leila's approach to the bed. "What's the emergency?" Ayano mumbled. "You're never up before me."

"I tolerate jet lag better than you," Leila offered by way of explanation. "Now give me your leg."

"What?" A wary look settled onto Ayano's face. "Why?"

"Just do it."

Ayano snorted, but she did kick aside her blankets to give Leila access. With the brushing aside of a pyjama leg and the quick tap of a key to a lock, a beep filled the silence. Then came the dull thud of the ankle monitor unbolting.

To Ayano's stunned expression, Leila said, "I'm sorry it took so long. I would have arranged for this before we left, but we were in a hurry."

"What? But…how?"

"I threw a tantrum. I just couldn't survive without my lady's maid, and I certainly couldn't have her be traceable. Imagine! The prince could potentially find us anywhere if she were. And of course, she had to be you specifically. I wasn't about to let some stranger touch me. Had to throw both my names around, but that did the trick."

Ayano launched off the bed, wrapped both her arms around Leila's neck, and hung there with a little support, given that her toes didn't reach the ground. "You must have looked so stupid."

"Yeah, yeah." Despite herself, the corners of Leila's lips pulled up. She'd squash the reaction before they parted lest Ayano realise that she could, in fact, smile. "You're welcome. And who knows? With any luck, you might be forgotten by the time we return to France. Lost in the bureaucracy."

"Can I smash it?" Ayano pulled back and, with big, pleading eyes full of tears which might have been real two seconds ago, gestured at the monitor with her head.

"I suppose. If you can find a hammer." Whatever fine she'd be saddled with, Leila could easily afford to pay it. As Ayano fully detached herself and made for the door – still in pyjamas, which was sure to be amusing later – she added, "Just don't disappear on me. It's my neck on the line now."

"Yeah, yeah," Ayano echoed back in imitation as she ran out the door.

 _I hope she means that._ In all honesty, Leila wouldn't blame Ayano for turning into a runaway. There were days she considered it herself. Not often, and never for long, but with enough frequency to weigh on her mind. She knew she could make a living as a travelling dancer should the need arise. Still, if they made it back to France together, and she trusted that they would, then Ayano would probably be here to stay.

Leila pushed the matter from her mind and departed for her temporary office. There were more pressing concerns at the moment which needed her attention; she had an entire war to get caught up on, after all. She expected a delivery soon as well. She did, however, briefly reconsider the wisdom in this course of action when she passed Ayano moving at a wobbling sprint through the halls bearing a sledgehammer at least a quarter of her own weight but ultimately restrained the instinct to worry.

For the next quarter of an hour, Leila spent her time reading the latest letters from the prince's army republished for the entire world to see. Through them, confidential information 'leaked'. Some even provided actionable intelligence, not that she would trust any of it to be anything but dangerously double-edged. While likely accurate – to some extent, at least – the prince made a habit of regularly tricking and outwitting his opponents. She refused to fall for his games.

Someone pounded on the door. Obviously not Ayano, who never needed an invitation, she assumed it was the delivery from the Imperial Security Bureau she'd been expecting. Indeed, when her guest entered, a highly overqualified and surly looking delivery boy stood in the doorway. Without even sparing a moment to think about it, she knew he'd gotten on the bad side of someone higher up the ladder who wanted to make her own life more difficult.

"Here's the list of exotic holiday destinations you requested, Mlle Malcal."

In response to the snark, Leila quirked an eyebrow. Almost no one she'd met so far appreciated having to work with a teenage Britannian girl who'd come here explicitly to tell them how to do their jobs better. Each trait alone posed its own challenge to overcome, but all four together? Honestly, she'd expected worse than she got. Most people here were far less overt in their hostility and contempt. Gene's endorsement of her must carry more weight than she'd thought.

Regardless, Leila was not in the mood to put up with this nonsense, so she put on a display of off-putting hyperfemininity and politeness. "Thank you so very much, Agent Amelin! I'll be sure to send everyone who helped you with this a thank you letter later. I do so love travelling, you know. I wouldn't want to miss my only chance to tour _Russia_."

The nausea drained from agent's face and his hackles rose a few seconds after Leila finished. She snorted to herself. _Took him long enough to pick up on the insult._

Fortunately, before the agent could start a fight, Ayano – notably _not_ in pyjamas – swept past him and shoved him out the door. She then flipped him off with both hands while slamming the door shut with a foot.

Leila shook her head from behind her desk and picked up the file she'd received. At first, she thought she'd _only_ been given a printed list out of spite, but she found an SD card taped in at the very end. Still annoying, but this wasn't the first time someone had given her a mildly inconvenient storage medium. She was prepared. At least it wasn't a floppy disk this time.

"So what was that about? He looked about a second away from pummelling you. Well, trying to."

"Nothing in particular," Leila idly replied as she set to work. "Just more of the usual."

"Ah, the hard life of a Zero."

Leila paused in her typing to glance at Ayano and arch her eyebrows. "A Zero?"

"Yeah, you know, like, the persecuted Britannian is a Zero like I'd be an Eleven. 'Cause they're like the first disenfranchised group, but…more first than Ones."

"An interesting analogy, though perhaps not so eloquently stated." Leila ignored Ayano's protestation of the latter remark and returned to work. "I imagine anyone with a passion for irony or satire would quickly adopt it. That or use it as a rallying cry for revolution. If things don't work out for me in the EU, maybe I'll steal it."

Whether unconsciously or subtly in a futile effort to hide how the words affected her, Ayano preened at the praise. "As long as you give credit where it's due," she said. "So? Whatcha doin'?"

"Programming."

Ayano grabbed a chair and plopped herself down beside Leila. "Isn't that Anna's job?"

"Everyone should know the basics these days as a life skill. It's not hard."

That elicited nothing more than a dismissive hum in response. "So what are you programming?"

"The ISB gave me a list of locations I need to parse and plot on a map," a simple task which would barely take five minutes.

"What for?"

"A quick and dirty test to falsify a hypothesis of mine."

"Shouldn't you be trying to prove it instead?"

After quickly finishing a basic parsing script, Leila let her fingers move on autopilot for the rest of her task and gave her attention to Ayano. "It's often easier to show something cannot be the case. Sometimes _much_ easier. Instead of immediately dedicating all of your effort to proving yourself right, it's usually a good idea to first see if you can quickly prove yourself wrong."

Ayano hummed in interest. "So what's your theory?"

"It's nothing complicated. If the prince and his men have disguised themselves as ordinary travellers to live off the land, then it stands to reason that they behave as such during their down time. If – and again, I do mean _if_ – they do, then they're going to leave behind a paper trail. This–" Leila copy and pasted the parsed list the ISB had given her into a plotting utility she'd found on the Internet. A map popped up with a little circle at every location. "–is all of the cities and towns where a hundred people could stay in a few dozen different hotels and just be guests like any other."

Leila then superimposed the much shorter and more readily available list of the prince's battles atop the map as little triangles, most of which appeared within reasonable travel distance of a circle. "And this is everywhere the prince has been." As she took in the data, she nodded to herself. _As I expected. It's not proof, not nearly, but it's evidence enough to ask the ISB to pursue this line of inquiry for me._

"Neat. So we just need to check all the hotel records for people who have been to these places at the right time?"

"Not exactly. Remember, the prince doesn't drag all of his men to every engagement. Each has probably only participated in two or three battles so far. Maybe four." In that sense, time was their ally, but a fickle one. Sooner or later – and probably sooner – Britannia's main army would arrive in Europe.

Ayano frowned in thought. "So we're looking at people who have shown up more than once?"

"Ah, but what if they're staying in pairs or have multiple false identities?"

"Hmm…" After a few seconds, Ayano said, "Well, they must have gotten into the country somehow. Check the border's records and compare?"

While not a bad idea and certainly something Leila intended to suggest in her report just in case, she shook her head. "They probably came from the east in the chaos of the early invasion."

"Oh. But then couldn't we also check to see who was already here before the prince started his campaign?"

"That's a step in the right direction."

Ayano took a moment to consider the matter further before suggesting, "Maybe they also travel between battles over multiple days? You know, to rest or sell the tourist shtick. That would leave trails to follow."

"Sort of," Leila said, rolling her hand from side to side. "That idea has the same problems as before, but it _does_ give us more data to refine our search. That's how we win this game of hide and seek. We need as much _useful_ data as possible while minimising garbage. Then we let the statisticians do the calculations to identify our _possible_ enemies. No matter how hard we try, we _will_ get a lot of false positives and negatives. This is a woolly business, unfortunately. It's possible nothing may come of it in the end but _a lot_ of wasted manpower." She doubted it would come to that, but if it did, _no one_ here would work with her again no matter how hard Gene pushed for her inclusion. She really only had one chance to prove herself useful.

"Couldn't we just detain everyone suspicious and sort them out later?"

"Only if you want to bring down the government." Leila was not blind to the unrest in the country. A few disregarded civil liberties in the wrong place at the wrong time could ignite the revolution and doom the country. Worse, most of the prince's knights were probably posing as foreigners. Even if she sent the ISB out to arrest en masse and caught one enemy combatant for every five attempts, so many false imprisonments could cause an international incident and bring the EU to declare war on Russia. More frustratingly, the prince had probably known and relied upon this when originally formulating his campaign.

Indeed, Leila had considered the idea before from a different angle. The prince's knights were likely transporting their equipment in regular lorries. If she could find _those_ , she could grind his campaign to a halt. Unfortunately, the infrastructure to do so wasn't in place. Even if it were, there were too many to check. _And then_ even if there weren't, shipping would slow. Food would stop getting to where it needed to be. The economy would nosedive. The rebellion would spread like wildfire, and while she sympathised, _now was not the time._

With Ayano right next to her, Leila resisted thumping her head upon her desk. It really was no wonder Gene had no expectation of her winning against the prince. Beating him would be difficult enough in _favourable_ conditions, and Russia was a powder keg waiting for that fateful spark.

"So once we get a bunch of possible names," Ayano said, "we just have to watch for all of them and set a bunch of traps?"

"Basically."

"You know, I was expecting more excitement than sitting on my arse and twiddling my thumbs until something happens."

Leila shrugged. "C'est la vie."

Ayano pouted. "Why don't we just look for the prince and countess specifically? Wouldn't they be nearby every night before a battle? And always together?"

"You're assuming they're not resting while on the road, aren't using a long series of different names, not staying with sleeper agents, and book their own rooms. Do recall that they're a prince and a countess."

"Bah! Fine, _assuming all that_ " – the sarcasm was thick in Ayano's voice as she rolled her eyes – "why don't we just look for them?"

"Because the prince's MO is outwitting his opponents."

* * *

 **Bor, Russia  
** **August 1, 2016 a.t.b.**

Kallen was the first to wake. She blindly reached out for her phone before realising it was Lelouch's making that awful racket. Muttering about how much she hated the necessity of ringtones that _would_ wake them, she reached over him for his phone and silenced the damn thing by answering the call.

No less irritated at being awoken in the middle of the night, Lelouch grumbled a slurred, "Who is it?"

"Shinobu," Kallen said by way of both answer and greeting. "Re–" A long yawn interrupted her. "–port."

"An SO squad is gathering outside your hotel, My Lady."

Kallen adopted the necessary state of mind but received no warning from her geass. That either meant they'd prevent her from being able to kill herself or someone she cared about or, much more likely now that she'd been alerted to their presence, they'd fail miserably in their attempt to capture her just like everyone else.

That or they'd take _forever_ to just get on with it and surpass the limit of her foresight. Kallen committed to killing herself as soon as the attack began and got a response from her geass. With the information she wanted obtained, she quickly discarded the notion of suicide. It was perhaps not the most mentally healthy form of divination. When she got home, she'd see if her geass acknowledged a hypothetical beloved family pet's death to use instead. But it worked. It was only too bad her power wasn't recursive. If it were, she could theoretically answer any verifiable yes–no question from as far into the future as she liked through a chain of murders and suicides.

But then again, perhaps that was for the best. Recursion would complicate _everything_ ; she'd spent a few hours thinking about it one night and gone to bed with a headache. It was difficult enough to adjust her thought process with her geass in its current user-friendly version. Indeed, with it stuck always on now, she'd initially worried she'd have to time her suicides just right to avoid crosstalk and getting answers to questions before she asked them. Fortunately, that had turned out not to be the case.

"So they finally figured us out," Kallen said. _Took them long enough._ While everyone else's identity was thoroughly hidden so long as they maintained cover, she and Lelouch had been deliberately leaving a trail. "How many are there?"

"No more than twenty, I believe. We have eyes on three right now. From what we've seen, they appear to be favouring stealth and want to catch you in your sleep."

Kallen snorted. "They must take us for arrogant children if they think we'd be caught by surprise," _but that does make sense of my geass's lack of a response._ "Is the army doing anything?"

"Not yet."

"One sec. Switching phones." Kallen hung up and tossed aside Lelouch's phone for her own as she reluctantly shifted out from beneath the warm blankets.

As this happened, Lelouch asked, "Trouble?"

"Not as much as you hoped for."

Lelouch had expected a much larger group to gather in force for their daily humiliation than this _when_ someone picked up on their trail. "How disappointing," he said. Perhaps this counted as the first failed plan of his campaign. What an amusing thought.

"I've got this," Kallen said as she dialled Shinobu's number. "You just go back to sleep."

"Arrogance becomes you." Even in the low light, Lelouch's amused smirk shone through. "I'll pack while you're busy."

Kallen turned her attention back to Shinobu and set about dressing in what she called combat casual. "I'll find a quiet place in the lobby to give them a target. Be ready for me in two minutes. If you haven't already, get the boys in the decoy room on standby and call up BALTIC's associate in the local police. I want to know what their involvement is in this. If they plan to close roads, we need to be prepared."

"Understood." The line hung up.

Once dressed, Kallen picked up the phone that was officially under the name she was using after happily retiring Rose at the start of the campaign. When she'd boarded the lift and begun to descend, she turned it on. With any luck, her dance partners for tonight would hone right in on it. It was an obvious bait, of course, but then so was the trail she and Lelouch had blazed through Russia an obvious trap.

* * *

 **Dolgoprudny Military Base  
** **Moscow, Russia  
** **July 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

"It's one thing to find the prince's men through the accumulation of incidental data," Leila continued. "He can only do so much to keep them hidden before the logistical overhead of the campaign becomes unsustainable. But the commander and the Ace? Himself and his lover? He'll keep the two of them hidden. If he doesn't, it's a trap. And an obvious one at that." _But maybe one too tempting for Russia to resist._

Leila stared at the map still displayed on her monitor with a new sense of unease. Finding the prince would be a natural consequence of finding his knights if he intended to be found. She doubted she could bury that information before it got to her. That could be problematic.

It was only then that Leila noticed Ayano smirking at her. "What?"

"It hasn't even been a week yet."

After waiting for Ayano to elaborate on that, Leila quirked her eyebrow. "And?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Affected innocence did not become Ayano. "Soooo, when the ISB takes the bait, fucks up, and probably screws you over, what do you want the prince to know?"

* * *

 **Central Province, Russia  
** **August 1, 2016 a.t.b.**

Kallen walked into the impromptu interrogation chambers Shinobu had arranged for in the middle of nowhere. One hand rubbed at her eyes, a thumb for the left and an index finger for the right. The other grasped a cup of iced tea for her to drink from. "It is too early for this," she grumbled. She'd managed to get some more sleep but not nearly as much as she'd wanted and not nearly enough to pilot a knightmare to her usual level of skill. Not that it really mattered. What a waste of a day this had been.

"If I may, you look exhausted, My Lady."

"No rest for the wicked, Shinjiro." Kallen poked the ice of her tea to break through it with her straw and took another sip. "Are any of them talking yet?"

"Not talking, exactly, no."

Kallen quirked an eyebrow.

"There's one. He's very…emphatic in his dislike of, and I quote, the 'Brit bitch who led them into this trap'."

 _Curiouser and curiouser. Perhaps today hasn't been a complete waste._ "Where is he?"

"Down the hall and to the left. Second door on the right. Shinobu is with him at the moment playing the downtrodden Eleven and egging him on."

Kallen bid her thanks and went off as directed. Along the way, she practised her haughty sneer. If this was the route Shinobu had taken, she could play into it. Not as well as Lelouch, but he was otherwise occupied. Besides, she could affect the mien of the aristocratic stereotype expected of her well enough. She just needed to get into the right mindset.

Once she was ready, Kallen set her tea aside and waited just outside the door for a lull in the conversation inside. She briefly noted that they were speaking in English – Shinobu with a meekness no one who knew her would believe and a thicker accent than the man – and then swept into the room. Bound atop a small pile of hay for lack of proper bedding sat one of the ISB agents they'd captured still in uniform but stripped of everything else. Beside the man, Shinobu sat in seiza in worn clothes with a timid air about her. She flinched when she made eye contact with Kallen as though she'd been caught doing something wrong.

Kallen directed a cold, imperious glare at Shinobu. "Eleven, out," she commanded.

Shinobu stole a worried glance at the man next to her before scurrying off with head down and a quiet, "Yes, Lady Stadtfeld."

Once the door was closed, Kallen spoke. "Pathetic. I told His Highness that even you people wouldn't fall for it, but you've not only made me lose a bet, you've pissed me off. I was promised a real fight, yet all I got were a bunch of brain-dead Seventeens."

Now _that_ got a reaction out of the man. Were he not bound, he'd be on his feet with fists flying. "Are you just here to gloat?"

"Yes, actually. You've ruined my day. A nice bit of verbal abuse should make me feel better."

The man spat at Kallen. "You Brits are all the same. At least that Malcal bitch won't be getting away from this."

* * *

 **Dolgoprudny Military Base  
** **Moscow, Russia  
** **July 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Ayano, I know you're not the biggest fan of law enforcement, but have faith."

"In what? Their incompetence?"

 _I don't know what I was expecting._ Leila sighed but decided to humour Ayano. "Since you ask, I suppose I'd want the prince to know it was me who found him. But also that I was against falling into his trap, of course."

"Why? Don't want him to think badly of you?"

Leila nodded.

"Well," Ayano said, "I guess he is kind of hot in an androgynous sort of way."

With a light backhanded slap of the arm, Leila said, "Be serious."

"Alright, alright. Why, then? Wouldn't it be good for him to underestimate you?"

"If we were going into a single decisive battle or fighting a conventional war, it would. Unfortunately, we have the unenviable task of actually finding him. Doing so once I think I can manage if I lurk around long enough. After that, however, he's going to be more careful."

Bemused, Ayano asked, "So how does making him _more_ wary of you help?"

"The purpose of his campaign is to make a name for himself. Some minor setbacks won't faze him. They happen. Everyone makes mistakes. But if a worthy opponent trounces him and starts bragging about it to everyone with ears? And if she happens to have a lovely new knightmare worth the time and effort to defeat?"

"You can force him to come to you."

Leila offered Ayano a rare smile.

* * *

 **Central Province, Russia  
** **August 1, 2016 a.t.b.**

One ring, two, and then the call connected. "Fleur?"

In a terribly sultry tone, Kallen asked, "Jean, do you have time for a _private_ conversation?"

"Only if you intend to finish what you start tonight, Milady," Lelouch replied no less suggestively.

Kallen laughed. "Maybe when we get home if you're a good boy."

"Oh? I might hold you to that. Anyway, I assume someone talked?"

"Not exactly, but I picked up a few things from a good rant. I figured I'd ask you if you know who Leila Malcal is before I waste a lot of time researching."

"Malcal… Malcal… Ah. The Malcals are a political family in France who first rose to power during the French Revolution. If I remember correctly, one of them was a captain in the fleet at the battle of Trafalgar and later became an admiral. Very influential today, especially in Paris. The current head of the family is Claude Malcal. Works directly under the prime minister. There was some legal drama around him before we met, but I can't recall what. I believe he only has sons, so Leila Malcal must be the wife or his mother."

"I certainly hope not, since it sounds like she's our age." Kallen wedged her phone between her ear and shoulder to free up her hand and then went to unpack her laptop.

"Huh. Perhaps an aunt, then, though I don't think he has–" A faint sound of a slap, likely a hand meeting a forehead, came over the phone. "Leila Breisgau. She's the daughter of Claudia and Bradow von Breisgau."

Kallen shot upright in surprise and nearly dropped her phone in the process. "The duke who relinquished his title and left for France? That certainly explains a few things. One of the guys here is absolutely convinced she's one of ours."

"I wouldn't complain if she were. If we could manufacture some means to restore her to her duchy, she'd be a powerful ally deeply in our debt."

"Only if she wanted it," Kallen added. "She _has_ taken up arms against us, you know."

"True. But we know nothing of her motivation for doing so. I wouldn't pass up a chance to recruit her if the opportunity presents itself."

"Well, from the sound of it, she's hunting us. Maybe we'll run into her on the streets and take tea."

Lelouch laughed.

"Speaking of, do you mind if I make some trouble for her?"

"What did you have in mind?"

Recalling how she'd played along with the ISB agent's assumptions, Kallen coyly said, "I never denied that the Lady Breisgau is one of ours."

That got another round of laughter from Lelouch.

"Keeping POWs is such a senseless drain on our resources, and I don't want to commit a war crime just to get them out of our hair, but they don't know that. Shinobu has been playing the meek, obedient Eleven to my evil countess, so I thought to myself, 'Why not just let her organise a jailbreak in a day or two to escape her cruel masters?'"

"I love it. See it done."

* * *

 **ISB Headquarters  
** **Moscow, Russia  
** **August 1, 2016 a.t.b.**

This was a glorious, once-in-a-lifetime scene Ayano never thought she'd get to witness. Leila was so enraged, so far beyond the pale, she'd stormed into the ISB, marched right up to one of her de facto bosses not even in the privacy of his own office, and laid right into him. So explosive and volatile was her rhetoric, the people in the room who actually understood her nodded in agreement with accompanying glares at the man she was busy tearing down to the exclusion of all else.

Ayano hated to interrupt. She really did. She only knew just enough of the language to catch maybe one word in three of the vitriol Leila hurled at the man, but she'd never been more proud of her surrogate older sister. The girl had it within her to be _so cool_ when she wanted to be. But there was a problem.

"Leila. Leila!" A sharp yank of the arm finally got her attention. "He doesn't speak English."

An angry snort escaped the girl in question as her gaze snapped back to her sort of boss. Ayano had a hard time remembering his name at the moment. In her defence, it used phonemes common to French or Japanese but not both and sometimes neither. She had a hard time approximating it under the best of circumstances.

"What part of 'it's a trap' did you have trouble understanding?" Leila tried again in French. "I told you going after the prince was a trap. I explained why it was a trap. I showed you all the ways it would go wrong. I _begged you_ not to fall for it. I pleaded with you not to waste the chance he was giving us. And you _lied to me_ just to get me to go away."

"It was a matter of operational secur–"

Leila was having none of that. "Don't even try that with me. I have had it up to here with your distrust. Yes, I'm Britannian. Get over it. I was born in France. I was raised in France. _My family_ is French. I've never even set foot in the homeland." The man attempted to interrupt, but she spoke over him. "Do you think your boss is an idiot? He didn't accept my assistance blindly."

"You sound as if you think he actually values your presence. You're just a glorified mouthpiece for General Smilas."

Not rising to the bait, Leila retorted, "If you honestly believe that's what I am, then you're all the more the fool for ignoring my advice and moving forward behind my back." A flash of anger passed over the man as she scored a direct hit. "Now twenty-five of your best are probably dead because you refused to listen to me. Were their lives worth proving that the prince is more able than you give him credit?"

The man's fists tightened. "How dare you! They all knew what they were getting into. It was a calculated risk."

"A calculated risk?" Leila echoed. A shiver ran down Ayano's spine at how calm and detached she sounded. That never boded well for the recipient of her fury. "I presented you with more than enough evidence to the contrary. I showed you the prince slipping away from pursuers and out of blockades. I replayed the numerous battles where attempts to constrain his movements failed. Where did all that appear in your calculations when you were weighing lives?"

"Listen, you worthless bitch." The man grasped Leila's blouse by the collar. "If you have a problem with how I run my operations, you can fuck off right back to Britannia." He feigned surprise. "Oh, wait. They don't want you. No one does."

"Worthless? That's your estimation of me?" That got a soft chuckle out of Leila even as she hung on her toes in the man's grip. "Yes, I see now. A calculated risk indeed. I at least cannot fault your multiplication skills. Twenty-five times zero is still zero. There was never anything at stake for yo–"

The next few seconds happened in the blink of an eye. With his free hand, the man struck not with a palm but a balled fist. Leila jerked in an odd way Ayano couldn't follow that set the man off balance. While her feet fell back onto the ground, she allowed the punch to roll off her cheek to little effect.

Now with a solid stance, Leila's hands and legs flew to work. The man toppled over under her assault and landed hard on his chest. The arm that had once grasped her blouse was held securely up in both her hands. With the leverage that provided, she used both her weight and his own to pin him with a foot on his back.

During all this, Ayano had barely taken a half-step forward to help before it was over. Most everyone else in the room had risen to assist as well but, like her, were left stunned with the display.

A moment passed.

 _Putain de merde! That was brilliant!_

The room came to life again. A pair of agents moved to relieve Leila of her burden and ultimately dragged the still enraged man from the room.

And that left a power vacuum, one which Leila promptly set about securing for herself without even the slightest concern for the recent assault against her or anyone attempting to gainsay her.

Hours passed with the business of war, and lunch went unobserved. It wasn't until much, much later that night at a very delayed dinner alone with Leila when Ayano felt she could properly react to the events.

"There are times when you are just – just…just _the best_. I don't even have the words. They need to invent a new one just for you."

Leila sighed in that 'I'm flattered but don't approve, so I won't show it' way of hers. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Are you mad? That guy was going to punch your lights out and beat you to a pulp, but you were all like–" Ayano imitated the move Leila had pulled to the best of her ability. Her expertise was in swords, not grappling. "And then he was on the ground before I could even blink, and you were just standing there on top of him like he was an insect not even worth your attention."

This time Leila buried her face in her hands propped up by her elbows on the table. "I really shouldn't have done that. I'm supposed to be a _good_ influence on you."

"Well, what were you _supposed_ to do? Let him hit you?"

"Of course not," Leila said evasively.

After a few seconds, the truth dawned on Ayano. "That was all on purpose? Everything?"

"Yeah," Leila sighed.

"But – but you were ranting in English."

Reluctantly, Leila admitted, "I knew he didn't speak the language. It was a good way to address the audience and get the mob on my side before he could defend himself. Enough people throughout the world speak English. It wasn't even a gamble. After that, it was just a matter of seeming the reasonable party when I went to provoke him."

"Are you serious?"

Leila refused to meet Ayano's eyes.

"No offence, Sis, but you're kind of scary." Ayano meant it as a compliment, and Leila knew that even if she herself didn't consider it as such.

"I suppose I can't say I've learnt nothing living with the Malcals…" Leila sighed once more.

It was at that moment that Ayano remembered something which truly needed to be said. She cleared her throat and waited until she had Leila's full attention. "By the way, what happened today? I told you so."

It took a few seconds, but eventually Leila groaned. "Anyway," she said in a graceless attempt to change the topic which only underscored her loss, "hopefully when our missing agents return they'll have some useful information for me."

Ayano paused with her fork halfway to her mouth to ask, "Didn't you say they're probably dead?" A half-second later she added, "No, nevermind. You were just whipping up the mob and asking for a fight."

"More or less. Some of them are probably dead, but the prince has been opting not to kill when he doesn't need to. I doubt all of them will be coming back, but some of them will before too long. I cannot believe he has the resources to hold low-value prisoners for long."

"And if they don't?"

"Then I'll think of something. I have a few other ideas, one of which I can act on now. Nothing may come of it, but if I'm going to have people idling around until a better opportunity presents itself, I might as well have them idling somewhere useful."

Curious, Ayano asked, "And where's that?"

"The prince was uncharacteristically inactive between the sixteenth and the eighteenth. Perhaps it was a planned day of rest. Perhaps something happened that forced him to abandon his plans for the seventeenth. The trail he left us certainly makes it look like he merely took a holiday while travelling between one battle and the next, but considering the lightning pace he'd maintained up to that point, I doubt it was intended. I think he cancelled an operation. And if he considered it worth his time before, he may well have put it back on his to-do list."

"Makes sense. So where was he on the seventeenth?"

"The same place I have Anna delivering the Alexander."

* * *

 **Norivny, Russia  
** **August 13, 2016 a.t.b.**

Returning to Norivny had Kallen on edge. If she hadn't grown up heavily involved in Britannian politics, she doubted she could affect even half the calm she presented to the world as she strolled though the city on Lelouch's arm. It wasn't the thought of an ambush that worried her, of course. One didn't need to be a prophetess to know there was one waiting for them. They'd come here expecting one and the opportunity to strike another massive material blow to the Russians. No, it was much worse than that.

Kallen glanced at a pavement table with three suspect targets around it and quickly formulated the intention to send Lelouch over to introduce himself to them as his royal self. If they reacted the way she expected, she would kill him. If they didn't or something else went wrong, she would more reliably kill herself. Dual-railing her geass as such, to borrow a term from electrical engineering, allowed her more flexibility in asking questions and provided clearer answers when in situations where she could rely upon the implementation.

However, if neither she nor Lelouch died in the coming moments, however unlikely, then they'd be in serious trouble: they'd have to follow through with her plan and suffer the consequences or else her geass wouldn't function to begin with. Such was the price of the increased divination power. Simple conditionals on things outside her control didn't require her to do anything.

As soon as she formalised her intent, Kallen's geass informed her that Lelouch was going to die. The only outward reaction she showed to the information as she discarded her plans was to tap her finger on Lelouch's arm three times to some unheard tune. That was three more enemy combatants to add to the count.

Kallen caught another probable out of the corner of her eye walk into a restaurant, presumably for lunch. This time she asked if there was at least one enemy inside, then two, three, four, and finally received a negative response at five. She tapped Lelouch's arm four more times and left it to him to keep count.

No, it wasn't the ambush waiting for them that bothered Kallen, it was the ambush waiting for them _in plain sight_. That left only three plausible explanations. One, they'd bled Russia enough that they _needed_ the heavy industry here intact. Two, whoever organised this 'ambush' was grossly incompetent. Three, the huntress had a better understanding of their motivations than they'd expected.

Personally, Kallen regarded the third option as the most likely. By their estimates, the first was still a few months off at their current pace. While she and Lelouch liked to make jokes to maintain the illusion of invincibility, the second gave too little credit to the Russians. If they were _that inept_ , Laertes would have already rolled over Siberia and won the war.

That left only the third option. The huntress had shown her hand and invited them to play. The only question was if she intended to play along or to exploit their need to take larger risks for greater glory. Kallen's money was on the latter and assumed Breisgau had an ace up her sleeve.

After an hour of leisurely reconnaissance, the pair stopped at a cafe for tea. Lelouch choose it for the publicly available chessboard inside, because of course he did. While he was busy ordering, Kallen opened an encrypted group chat with the surveillance team.

'Q1 reporting. At least 231 in the area we searched.'

A series of other reports came in over the next few minutes, none of which did anything to alleviate Kallen's worries. But there was _some_ good news.

Shion wrote, 'No more than 100 KMFs in official hangars.'

 _That puts us at about equal strength in knightmares, only slightly outnumbered._ Of course, they had also brought nearly twice as many people, unusually many of whom triggered Kallen's geass, and equal material to this engagement as they normally did. That brought up more questions. _Did Breisgau expect to outnumber us or did she intend to match us to tempt us into a pitched battle?_

Kallen hated these minds games, but that was what she had Lelouch for. He was far better at reading people than her. A new message from Shinobu recaptured her attention.

'Located the huntress. Out for lunch with company. Orders?'

'Keep an eye on her, but leave her be,' Kallen sent back. As tactically sound as disrupting the chain of command would be, she and Lelouch had an image to protect and present to the world. They would either ignore Breisgau or meet her in battle; there was no in-between.

"I can't help but notice you're all alone. Care for a game, gorgeous?"

Kallen rolled her eyes as Lelouch offered up her tea and a blueberry muffin. "Is that how you pick up women, Liam? By challenging them to chess matches?"

"Did it work?"

"Well, you brought me food, so how can I resist?"

The pair relocated from the window seat Kallen had acquired to the chess table off by the wall. As soon as they finished setting up the board, she stole Lelouch's queen. She considered it the very minimum handicap he could give her and teasingly said, "Your queen stands before you in open rebellion. I don't know why you look so surprised."

There was no hesitation in Lelouch's response. "It is not the rebellion that surprises me. She always was a wilful piece. But to see her following another king, it breaks my heart."

"Oh, I'm sure he's just a jumped up pawn dancing in the palm of her hand."

Kallen and Lelouch looked at each other for a second before both broke into identical smiles. With that, the game began. The opening played out quickly at the lightning pace Kallen set.

"You know, even with all the pieces I have before you, I still worry it won't be enough. I don't like fair fights any more than you do."

No hints were needed as to what they were really talking about. "I'm sure you'll do fine," Lelouch said. "It may be a greater challenge than you're used to, but you have experience and unshakable loyalty on your side. Recall how well it served you against my sister. And you have an advantage that no one else has or could predict."

"That's true." Kallen kept her smirk off her face even as she quickly made her next move. Probably without even noticing, Lelouch matched her pace as he had the whole game so far. They both knew he didn't need to pay too much attention to beat her.

"If something goes wrong, you can always retreat. It wouldn't be the first time you've feigned a rout only to turn the tables."

"Also true."

Lelouch frowned as Kallen moved her queen forward. She didn't know why that bothered him, but she would find out soon enough. A few turns later, she forked a knight and a rook with the piece.

Now properly paying attention to the game, Lelouch glanced up from the board with narrowed eyes. "I forgot to mention one important fact. You cheat."

"Me? Never." Exposed, Kallen no longer bothered to hide her grin.

With a click of his tongue, Lelouch moved his knight forward. "What AI do I have the honour of facing?"

"Nothing fancy," Kallen replied. "Just something I can access from my phone." For each piece available to her, she asked if it was the next one she should move until she received a positive response to her rook. From there, she only had to determine where to move it. In this case, it was back one space. "I'll have to look into something better in the future. When we get home, I think I might go trounce your brother."

That elicited a territorial growl and a glare. No one but Lelouch was allowed to topple Schneizel from his throne, it seemed. Kallen laughed.

* * *

The first one came without warning as it always did. It happened. People died in battle. That was the nature of things. Kallen would pay closer attention to Morgan and do her best to avert the loss when the time came.

The second came a few moments later. That, too, happened. Twice was a coincidence. She could save John as well.

The third came, which paradoxically set her at ease. If three people died so quickly in succession, it typically indicated a single root cause. That would be easier to prevent than multiple little ones.

Then the fourth came, and then the fifth, and the sixth, and the seventh. The images grew more vivid with each one. Crushed skulls, snapped necks, hemorrhages, and always the searing heat and the flames. The charred flesh, the skin flaking to ash. The final flash of light before blindness. Every time she recovered from the shock, another blow came. One after another, everyone she knew and cared for but herself and her prince died.

"Lelouch. Lelouch." Kallen weakly pawed at her knightmare's communications. Her geass partially receded with the simple act but still left her reeling.

"Q1, what – Kallen! What's wrong?"

"Everyone. Dies." Kallen's breathing was ragged. She was sure she was hyperventilating.

"What? How?"

"In knightmares. Probably." The biggest flaw of Kallen's geass was its omission of circumstance. It wasn't enough. How better could she describe it? "Quickly. Sequentially."

As soon as Kallen decided on the last two words, her geass faded further. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she could finally _think_. She could see the gears whirling in Lelouch's mind. Soon enough, he pulled Shinobu onto the line.

"Was Anna Clément with Breisgau?"

The dossier Kallen had read on Breisgau last week had mentioned that name. If she remembered correctly, Clément was Breisgau's best friend, schoolmate, and a hobby…roboticist.

 _Oh no._

"She was, Your Highness."

Kallen paled. Lelouch muttered something under his breath. They'd both experienced first hand the power a decisive technological advantage could grant if used well at the outset of the war.

"Thank you, Shinobu." Lelouch removed her from the call and then immediately slammed his fists onto his console. "Of all the asinine possibilities! I read it, but I didn't see it. I didn't even think – she's barely an adult!"

"So are we," Kallen observed.

"What can my oracle tell me?"

"We'll lose more than we've lost cumulatively over our entire campaign." And with that, Kallen's geass became eminently more manageable. "And we'll lose a lot less now that you know that."

"I see." Although he ground his teeth, Lelouch resigned himself to the facts. "I would rather suffer a minor setback than win a Pyrrhic victory. I'll order a tactical withdrawal. I need you to blunt whatever Breisgau is about to throw at us."

* * *

"They're retreating?" Leila stood incredulous at the sight in her command centre. She'd been watching and waiting. She'd wanted them to have the first strike so that they'd be committed to the fight. "Why?" _It's a trap. It_ has _to be a trap. I wasn't even being subtle about asking for the fight I_ know _the prince wants. Nothing could have frightened him off in these last few minutes. Not unless he learnt of the Alexander with absurdly dramatic timing._

"Your orders, Ma'am?"

Leila gnawed on her lip in thought as she struggled to come to a decision. _If I go after them, I risk lives and looking like a fool. I can't be a fool in the prince's eyes if I want him to ever come to me. But if don't, it could be months before I run into him again. I don't have that kind of time._

In the end, Leila made the only decision she could. "We pursue with caution. Nobody takes any risks. I don't want any heroes."

* * *

Despite all the warnings her geass gave her, Kallen knew she and Lelouch were going to live through this battle. Even when everyone else died, they would go on. She doubted that meant anything good; the huntress must want her prey alive.

As the group retreated through the forest, Kallen slowly pulled her knightmare closer and closer to Morgan's. Even after she'd altered the timeline, the poor woman would be the first to fall without her intervention. Presumably, that would be where Breisgau first sicked whatever new machine she had on them.

The sound of cannon fire broke the silence. Through the trees, Kallen could spot flashes of light and wisps of smoke rising into the air. It'd begun. She grasped her controls tighter and prepared for the fight of her life.

"Q1, P5 reporting – oh, fuck, it's fa–"

The line went ominously dead at the same time an explosion erupted not too far away. For better or for worse, Kallen hadn't known Private Ainsley well.

"N1, gather your squad," Kallen commanded. "From the sound of it, we're dealing with something light, fast, and probably agile. I'll keep it busy. You fire on both of us in a line. It'll take hits harder than me."

After a few precious moments, Morgan finally responded, "Yes, Ma'am."

 _Well, that ensures her survival. Let's hope this–_

The factspheres of Kallen's knightmare picked up an approaching knightmare. It was taller than her Panzer Hummel but willowy. It's humanoid design went a step further toward realism than even Britannia's latest with the head itself bearing a pair of small, glowing green eyes, likely factspheres. The frame was painted white, trimmed in red with grey accents, and it was the fastest knightmare she had ever seen, easily beating out the Gloucester and even the Ganymede.

Kallen didn't even wait to see if she'd been noticed. She immediately rushed toward where Morgan was preparing the ambush. And sure enough, she had that new knightmare on her tail and gaining quickly. The only thing keeping her in the lead was her obviously greater experience traversing forests in a knightmare and perhaps one odd design choice. _Does it not have slash harkens?_

As she jerked herself onto a clearer path with one, Kallen risked diverting her attention to observe the knightmare more closely. _It doesn't. But they're so useful! How does it climb and clear terrain landspinners won't pass without them? I mean, what if it got stuck in the mud? That'd be so embarrassing._

Kallen shook the questions from her mind. There would be a time for them _after_ she'd gotten out of here alive and free. She slowed herself slightly to match her pursuer's speed so that they'd arrive at the ambush point together. In the back of her mind, she wished the Panzer Hummel had hands for her to brawl with. She hated not having a melee option, especially when her opponent had a pair of very sharp daggers attached to its frame at its hands which could probably tear hers to ribbons.

All went according to plan. Kallen turned on the knightmare behind her and opened fire.

The white knightmare easily dodged. It spun in a narrowing circle faster than the Panzer Hummel could turn, but that was fine, because it was now in the firing line with her.

"N1, do it."

Morgan's squad took aim. The white knightmare tried to duck out of the way, demonstrating its frustrating flexibility. Nonetheless, that wouldn't–

"It transforms!" Stunned – and privately _very_ jealous – Kallen watched in horror as the now four-legged knightmare fired the artillery mounted on its back at the firing squad. And here she'd had the counterintuitive thought that it had hands to hold things like its main – or possibly only – ranged weapon. But no, apparently hands were overrated.

The first shot fired and hit Morgan dead centre. She managed to eject in time, but her squad scattered with her to get to cover.

That left Kallen alone with the transforming robot. It was already back on two legs and dodging her attempts to shoot it with nonchalance. It's knives apparently retracted into its arms, as they popped out threateningly.

 _Fantastic. I've brought painfully slow cannons to a close quarters knife fight. If I had a Gloucester or even just a Sutherland…_

In a rather desperate move, Kallen used a slash harken to yank herself sideways. It gave her enough speed to bat away the white knightmare's killing thrust with one of the cannons that passed for hands on the Panzer Hummel. She tried to fire the other cannon into the knightmare's chest, but it just returned the favour with much less fuss.

"Alright, you wanna rumble? Fine. Bring it on."

* * *

Lelouch sighed as Kallen was carefully transferred into his knightmare for the time being. The only thing coherent he'd gotten out of her was something about hating Panzer Hummels, which was fair enough, he supposed. They were nearly antithetical to her natural fighting style, and it appeared she'd hit her head during the ejection process. He couldn't blame her. The Panzer Hummel's design was a product of necessary haste to field an answer to Glasgows. Hopefully in the next war they fought, they'd have access to good Britannian tech instead.

As much as he sympathised with her right now, however, Lelouch made a mental note to 'rehabilitate' her. According to preliminary reports, Kallen had started out well but had ultimately relapsed and tunnelled on the white knightmare which, for all intents and purposes, had turned the fight into a one on one duel. _And she did so well against Suzaku…_ He shook his head fondly. He was a little disappointed, sure, but she'd tried. Far less could be said of most people. _At least she's safe._

"K1, there's a signal on the open channel."

That had to be Breisgau. "Thank you, R2. I'll take care of it." Lelouch briefly considered ignoring the call but decided against being petty. After quickly making himself more presentable, he stowed Kallen at his feet out of sight. The last thing he needed right now was his opponent learning that his best Ace was completely out of commission. When he was at last ready, he opened the line.

"Good evening, Your Highness," Breisgau said with an infuriatingly cocky smile.

Lelouch refused to rise to the bait. "Good evening, Huntress."

"Huntress?" Breisgau echoed in bemusement. After a moment to process the name, the smile returned even wider. "An excellent sobriquet. I thank you for it."

"Your gratitude is misplaced. My knight decided upon it."

"Oh? I don't suppose you'd be willing to surrender so I could thank her myself?"

As an answer, Lelouch asked, "I don't suppose you intend to chase after us?"

"No, I think not. I'm not naive enough to follow you. Unlike some people, I choose to learn from what happened to the previous commanders who thought they'd routed you. You'll just have to extend my thanks to the countess for me."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that, but I fear we shall banter all night if left unchecked. Perhaps we should dispense with the idle pleasantries."

"Very well, then. I'd just like to remind you not to keep a lady waiting. I look forward to our next encounter."

Lelouch immediately understood exactly how much of a thorn in his side Breisgau intended to make herself. Nonetheless, he wasn't about to show his hand so easily. "They say absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Don't be coy. A black mark like this on your record? Letting the world believe there's someone who can match wits with you and claim the advantage at the end of the day? You can hardly afford to let that stand."

"Hmph." Lelouch hadn't expect any other response, but it still rankled. "Until next time, Huntress."

"A bientôt, Your Highness."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks go out to Baerwald and Redderthanred31 for performing the French equivalent of Brit picking for me. More thanks go to Lanzador, whose analysis of the Alexander I have appropriated for my own use.

If you're interested in the rigorous theoretical analogue behind Kallen's geass, check out computability theory. Of particular interest is Turing recognisability, decidability, the halting problem, and asynchronous systems.

Next time: _Stage 20 - Lining Up the Dominoes_

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	23. R1 S195 - Respite

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 19.5 - Respite

 **Norivny, Russia  
** **August 13, 2016 a.t.b.**

As soon as the prince cut the connection, Leila slumped down onto the nearest empty chair she could find. The exhaustion hit her all at once, and her knees still shook even now that she was off her feet.

 _How does he do this every day? And commanding from the front in a knightmare, too._

But despite everything, Leila had won. It wasn't a decisive victory, not even close, but even a mild loss against the prince would be a far cry from the usual results. That left a warm glow of pride and achievement in her. Everyone in her command centre seemed to mirror that feeling. Congratulations flew around. Smiles lit up the room. A few were even crying.

Leila took heart in the sight. They'd held the field, and morale was lifted. _Maybe,_ she dared to think, _I_ can _turn this war around._ If she could knock the prince out of the fight, maybe she could even salvage the campaign in the east. _Maybe._

One thing in particular troubled her, however. _His retreat should have been a trap. It should have been, but it wasn't._ The countess actually managing to match the Alexander for a short while had kept Leila terrified on the edge of her seat, but that didn't meet the prince's usual standards. _It could be coincidence. Something else could have come up. It doesn't necessarily mean he learnt about the Alexander immediately before the battle._

 _Who are you trying to persuade?_

Leila sighed. She had a problem and a question that needed answering.

 _Do I have a simple security leak, or do I have a spy in my camp?_ _I'll have to bring this up at our after action review. There can't be too many suspects to investigate._

After a few moments considering who fell on the list, Leila pushed the matter from her mind and excused herself to meet up with Anna and the rest of the Alexander team. Given their inexperience in military engagements, she wanted a full report from them while everything was still fresh in their minds.

Outside the hangar Anna had commandeered for her team, Leila spotted Akito Hyūga about to turn a corner out of sight. Six months her junior but easily six centimetres taller, the boy had short, messy black hair with a long, thin braid at the back and, according to Ayano, could give her a run for her money in a frowning contest. Although apparently when he did it, it made him look 'mysterious and handsome' instead of mopey.

Leila called out for Hyūga to wait up and hastened to join him. "I'd like to gather the whole team to discuss the battle if you're not needed elsewhere."

"If you wish," Hyūga said leisurely. "I have little to contribute. I've already critiqued Private Sayama's performance."

"Perhaps, but I'd like to hear what you have to say first hand. Now come. Let's not dawdle."

With some visible reluctance on his end, Hyūga followed Leila back into the hangar. Inside, she found the whole team. Hilda and Chloe were off with Anna poking and prodding the Alexander in what looked like an attempt to catalogue all of the repairs they'd need to make before the next battle.

The research team hovered over a computer closer to the door. Sophie Randle, a brunette in her early thirties, headed that department as Anna's official number two on the project. With her was Joe Wise, a heavy-set man with an insatiable addiction to lollipops, and Ferilli Baltrow, the project's sakuradite expert.

Off in the lounge area, Ayano sat on her legs with her feet tucked to one side atop an armchair chatting away with their medic, Kate Novak, and their newest addition, Ryō Sayama. Sayama was one of those awkward cases. While Japanese, he'd been outside the country with his parents during its conquest and had managed to obtain Russian citizenship afterwards. Britannia's loss was their gain. An Ace from Saint Petersburg who thankfully spoke French, they'd purloined him to pilot the Alexander. Hyūga was better, whether that be from natural talent or the extra months of experience, but he had the advantage of not being a minor. Leila found him brash and otherwise rough around the edges, but he was nice to Ayano, so she gave him a pass.

As Leila called for everyone to come join her, Hyūga found himself a cosy wall out of the way to lean up against. She'd expected no less; Chloe _had_ told her he wasn't very social. But that was fine. Neither she nor anyone else had any complaints about how he did his job, so she paid the boy's reclusive tendencies no further mind.

"Everyone, first off, I want to congratulate you all on the phenomenal piece of technology you've developed." Leila waited a moment for the crowd to settle down. "Between when I last visited in spring and today, you turned a knightmare that gave me nightmares into one that will give them to our enemies instead. No offence, Anna. You know it's true."

Through the laughter and Anna's pouting, Leila recalled breathing a sigh of relief at the end of the battle. She'd been so sure some critical part would break, malfunction, or randomly fail for no good reason during the Alexander's first field test, but it'd pulled through. The team had pulled through.

She hoped that turned into a trend.

"Now let's get down to business. How long will it take before the Alexander is fully operational again?

"Only a day this time," Hilda said. "We spent our down time here making replacement parts, armour in particular. All the raw materials for it are manufactured in this town. But they won't last long. It takes us about a week to fully armour and outfit the Alexander from scratch, not counting other repairs."

Leila acknowledge the time frame with a nod. That was acceptable. She'd be ready for the prince's attempt at revenge, at least. She then turned to the human component. "Kate, how long until Private Sayama is fully healed?"

"Oi! It's just some bruising!" the man in question protested.

Nonetheless, Kate replied, "A week or two, technically, but I'd be willing to sign off on active duty after a good night's rest."

"Excellent. Now I'd like to hear everyone's reports. What went right? What went wrong? Let's start with our devicer in the field."

"The drifting was terrible," Sayama stated bluntly. "There were a few times I thought I wasn't going to stop skidding before someone blew me up. The side-to-side acceleration wasn't what the simulator made me expect either."

While Anna made a few notes, Ayano said, "The only person you had trouble catching turned out to be the countess herself, you know."

"It's still a problem to be addressed," Anna idly said as she wrote.

"I heard a shrill tearing sound during one of the transformations," Sayama added.

Hilda was quick to respond. "We found that already. Some of the armour got damaged and caught in a joint. We're very lucky it tore under the torque and fell out instead of jamming."

Leila's breath hitched as she imagined the opposite outcome. _Lucky, indeed. That could have been a disaster._

"Having a light rifle would take a lot of frustration out of the job," Sayama said. "Could probably just salvage one from a Sutherland out east. Gap closing was incredibly easy, though. I'll give you that."

Hyūga chose to comment on that. "I've already mentioned it to you, but you need practice interweaving the Alexander's Insect Mode into your style. A lot of damage you took could have been mitigated or avoided entirely by making use of its low profile to approach. The prince's choice to steal material for his campaign will make it especially effective. While Insect Mode has a lower top speed, it has higher accelerations that the Panzer Hummel won't be able to keep up with at close range."

"Is there anyway we can get a leaping attack macro?" Sayama asked. "You know, from Insect Mode jump onto an enemy with the knives deploying during it. It's doable without, but it's a hassle and easy to fuck up. Seems like the kind of thing to automate."

Anna shrugged. "Shouldn't take more than an hour on the software end. Might take some time to install a proper button for it for ease of use. Priorities and all."

From there, the discussion turned into a play by play analysis of the battle itself and the Alexander's part in it.

* * *

 **Central Province, Russia  
** **August 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

Little noises, shuffling feet, hushed conversation, and the clattering of tools filled the waking world. Kallen hated it all. She'd been awake for five seconds, and she already had the mother of all headaches.

"Good afternoon, Lady Stadtfeld."

Kallen turned her head to find a doctor at her bedside. There were five other beds in the makeshift ward, four currently occupied. She was somewhat surprised Lelouch hadn't put her in a private room with ridiculous security even without a sorcerer on the prowl, but a ruffling of fabric on the opposite side of her bed alerted her to Shinobu's presence.

"How long have I been out?"

"Only a day," the doctor replied. As she went about performing a series of tests starting with an eye exam, she asked, "How do you feel?"

"Splitting headache. Tired. Bruised."

"Any nausea. Dizziness?"

Kallen shook her head.

"Well, that's good. You're doing much better than when His Highness first brought you to me. It looks like you have a concussion, but only a mild one. Our equipment is limited here, but we can perform a few more tests when you're feeling up to it to be sure. If I'm right, you should be fit for active duty in two weeks."

 _Two weeks!_ Kallen groaned. Still, she could admit she didn't want to fight that white knightmare again without being in peak condition. She'd just lose and get herself captured at best, killed at worst. _So I'm stuck on medical leave. Fantastic. I suppose I have enough administrative work to keep me busy. Should probably take over some of Lelouch's, too._

 _Speaking of,_ "Is His Highness here?"

"He left early this morning to continue the campaign," Shinobu replied.

"Good." Part of Kallen had worried he'd be glued to her bedside, something they couldn't afford. Now she'd only have to worry about his safety instead. "Please let him know I'm awake." This would be a good test to see if her geass had any trouble with distance. She assumed not, but she had no proof one way or the other yet. She turned her attention back to her doctor. "Am I cleared to get back to work?"

"Certainly not. As I said, you shouldn't return to active duty for _at least_ two weeks."

"The non-physical stuff, I mean."

"No. You need rest, both physical _and_ mental."

Kallen stared blankly at the doctor.

"I won't confine you to your bed unless you force me to, but please limit how long you participate in activities that require thinking or significant concentration. That includes reading, texting, and most certainly directing an army."

"But – but I can't – do you realise how much I do for this campaign?"

The doctor gave Kallen a patient smile. "Then I suggest you rest. Your only responsibility now is to get better quicker by not pushing yourself. I'm sure His Highness will manage without you. This is precisely what the chain of command is for."

Kallen placed both hands on her temples and tried to massage both the frustration and her mounting headache away. As Lelouch's knight, she was an extension of his authority; she got slotted into wherever she was needed. There _wasn't_ anyone immediately below her to subsume her duties, just him. And she doubted he would delegate with this sort of personal project.

Resigned to her fate, Kallen said, "We'll figure something out."

"Correction," the doctor said with a knowing, almost teasing, tone. "His Highness will figure something out. You rest."

"Fine," Kallen grumbled.

It was a boring hour of idle and pointless chatter later when Shinobu relinquished Kallen's phone and Lelouch finally got in contact with her. Any hope of succour promptly died a miserable death when he immediately commanded her to follow her doctor's orders.

"Don't sulk," Lelouch said. "When you get back, I'll be happy to dump everything on you."

Kallen bit her tongue.

"Besides, your magic alone is more than enough contribution. I've organised a secure way to communicate with you during battle. So long as I can avoid that white knightmare surprising me with its presence, I'll be fine."

"What about everyone else?" The last thing Kallen wanted to do was sit idle and knowingly wait for her friends' spark of life to be smothered.

"I'll do what I can with what you tell me, but that's all I can promise."

 _That's the best I can expect without grinding the campaign to a halt, I suppose._ Even so, Kallen sighed. "Fine. Alright. Since I'm not fighting, feel free to consult me if you need anything. I can easily and reliably do all the work on my end here."

Missing the necessary context to understand Kallen's full meaning, Shinobu said, "My apologies, My Lady, but I _will_ enforce bed rest if you overwork yourself."

Lelouch apparently heard that. "Please pass on my appreciation to Shinobu for her good work." Kallen could practically hear his smirk as she gritted her teeth at this _conspiracy_. "But I'll be sure to call upon you in the off chance I require your services."

"As long as your remember," Kallen relented. "Do you need any information from me on our last battle?"

"No. I'll send the data and footage we were able to obtain on the white knightmare to Shinobu. She'll give it to you when your doctor allows it."

Kallen huffed at being coddled.

"I've seen you jogging on a broken leg without crutches. You have no defence."

"I was walking!" Kallen protested. "And it was one bloody time to go to the bloody toilet!"

"Uh-huh. Regardless, why don't you take this time to mingle between naps."

From the darker corners of her mind came the term 'replacement friends', but Kallen swatted the feelings that came with it away. This entire campaign was a political exercise from its conception intended to win the love of the people. _Of course_ she felt insincere at times, but she still cared. Nothing and no one could make her question that. Her geass wouldn't trigger if she didn't, after all.

To his suggestion, Lelouch added, "I'm also very curious how well the Shinozaki have been integrating into the group. Whenever I ask, they say they're being treated well, but it's _me_ asking. When you can, take the opportunity to surreptitiously observe their interactions while you're on holiday. There are several of them there watching over you."

"Sure, no problem."

That was one of the side benefits of their campaign. It forced their regiment to cooperate with, learn from, and often take orders from the Shinozaki. It was their hope that such familiarity coupled with their phenomenal success and the Shinozaki's admirable loyalty and skill would breed acceptance. It wouldn't necessarily change any opinions about numbers in general or even just the Japanese, but it would be a start.

Then when this war was over, these men and women, these celebrated war heroes, would spread their stories. With any luck, they'd also make positive mention of the Shinozaki as well. It was a small thing of little significance alone, but small things added up. When it finally came time to reform Britannia from the top-down, the bottom needed a plethora of readily available reasons to be receptive to each change.

"So," Kallen began, "are you going to tell me what plans you've made for the huntress, or are you going to keep me in the dark for my health?"

"I'll spare you the details. I intend to keep bleeding Russia, of course, although more cautiously until your return. But I've also decided to cripple what air power they can muster this side of the Urals. I imagine she'll catch on quickly if I start targeting airbases frequently. She and that knightmare of hers might not make it to the battles personally, but I imagine she'll have them prepared for me and take command remotely."

"Ah," Kallen said as understanding dawned on her. "The old feed her confidence and ultimately punish her for overconfidence trick, right?"

Lelouch hummed in agreement. "She's setting herself up as a worthy opponent, which serves our purposes just fine. The bigger she becomes, the more glory there is in toppling her. Especially if we deliver the death blow in as decisive a victory as our debut battle."

"Ooh, sounds fun. I better get a chance to take part in this one." After being assured that she would, Kallen asked, "So? What's the plan?"

"I've been saving an idea I got from and old soldier while we were in Area Two for a rainy day."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **August 19, 2016 a.t.b.**

"I believe you, but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned." Euphemia noticed Marrybell had run out of lemonade and politely retrieved the bottle from their picnic's cool box to refill her glass. "There's just so much political upheaval here recently, much of it violent. Whoever Father sent to clean up Code R is very good. If I didn't know better, I wouldn't even recognise that's what's going on. I worry, is all. About both Naoto and Clovis."

Marrybell scowled, an expression Euphemia was becoming entirely too familiar with in recent months. "Naoto will be fine."

 _And no claims are made about Clovis's wellbeing._ Euphemia sighed. Marrybell had confessed to seeing some of the Code R experiments but had point blank refused to speak a word more on the subject. Despite accounting for her family's tendency to shield her from even the mildest aspects of the darker side of the world, Euphemia assumed the worst. Marrybell tended to be more open with her, after all. Even so, whatever he'd done, Clovis was still family.

When Euphemia went to press the issue, Marrybell held up a hand for silence. A quick nod of the head made her aware of Nunnally swiftly approaching their lonely but shady weeping willow alongside Ashford's stream. Before their sister arrived, she sent Marrybell a look that said they _would_ continue this later.

"Afternoon," Nunnally said. She had a distracted air about her and looked to be in a huff. Euphemia and Marrybell shared a glance out of the corner of their eyes. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Despite the inopportune timing, Euphemia said, "Not at all. If you don't mind my asking, what has you so ruffled?"

"Lelouch." After half a moment of thought, Nunnally added, "Well, my classmates, really, and everyone on campus. But it's his fault!"

That was enough for Euphemia to understand the crux of Nunnally's troubles. She sympathised. Honestly, she did. But she still laughed in the privacy of her own mind.

"Do you know how many times I've heard how handsome and brilliant he is, how he's the greatest thing since sex?"

Marrybell snickered.

"Do you realise how awkward it is when my friends ask why I'm not mooning over him too?"

"Well," Euphemia began, unable to resist, "you don't have a reason to. If I recall, you wanted the wedding to be in spring."

Predictably, Nunnally glared at Euphemia. "And you wanted it in autumn."

"As soon as I was old enough to marry, yes. Ah, those were the days…"

Before Euphemia could have too much fun flustering Nunnally, Marrybell stepped in and asked, "Did something in particular set you off or is today just the straw that broke the camel's back?"

Nunnally broke off her glare with an exasperated sigh. "The latter, I suppose. I just… He didn't come to school here with us, but he always made time for us. I could accept that. Now he's just" – her voice lowered to a whisper – "gone."

"I know how you feel." Euphemia opened an arm in invitation to cuddle, an offer which was promptly accepted. "It's been years, yet I still miss having Cornelia near."

"I do too," Nunnally whispered. Less softly, she asked, "Why are they doing this? Why are they fighting? I know Lelouch and Cornelia never really cared either way, but Kallen…"

Euphemia let a silent sigh slip through her lips. She knew perfectly well why all three of them made war. Cornelia did it for her – for them all, really. Father allowed them to live as they wished these past six years largely because Cornelia made herself useful enough for four. Looking down at Nunnally curled up into her side, Euphemia knew her beloved little sister wasn't ready to hear that the peaceful life they both loved so much was purchased with iron and blood. She still flinched away from that fact at times herself.

Lelouch and Kallen's motivations were harder to paint in a good light. They did it for power. They had plans for Britannia, whatever they were, that required putting Lelouch on the throne. If that meant leaving a trail of bodies and destruction in their wake, they considered it a price worth paying. With no gentler explanation ready at hand, Euphemia looked to Marrybell to wordlessly plead for help.

"The promise of a better future."

Startled, all three sisters looked up. Hidden behind the leaves above near the top of the branches of the willow, an Ashford student hung between three branches. Her legs draped over one with another below and a third behind to support her rear and back respectively. She yawned before climbing down with panache. When she fell to the ground, she brushed the leaves and bark from her clothes.

Not sure what the raven-haired girl had overheard, Euphemia, although hesitant and bemused, ventured to say, "Good afternoon. Do you always sleep in trees?"

"Bad habit," the girl said as she stretched. "I've been away from Pendragon for too long. Used to do it a lot when I was a child and needed a safe place to rest. People don't look up much."

 _Not animals. People._ Euphemia doubted this girl's story would do much for her faith in humanity.

"I should probably introduce myself. Elizabeth Ward. But if, as it seems, we're discussing things that involve our lives outside Ashford, please call me Anne."

Nunnally was the first to react. "Anne?" She played with the name on her lips. "Wait, are you the same Anne–"

Anne placed a finger on her own lips, and Nunnally promptly quieted.

 _Curious._ Euphemia poked Nunnally in the side, but she kept mum.

"You two know each other?" Marrybell asked.

"It's been some time since we last met." As she sat down, Anne asked, "Mind if I join the conversation?"

 _Well, our secret is already out. If she didn't already know._ Euphemia shrugged, and as Nunnally shook her head and Marrybell proved indifferent, consent was granted.

"I've been swamped with work this week. Can you fill me in on what Kallen and His Highness have been up to recently?"

Marrybell, being the most experienced of the three on matters of war, took the lead. Euphemia and Nunnally added their own comments on occasion, but she hit all of the major points in more detail than the others could have even begun to comprehend. She finished by saying, "It's hard to be sure through the propaganda on both sides. Without contacting him directly to ask, it appears he suffered a minor loss against Leila Breisgau at Norivny but hasn't slowed down since."

"Hmm?" Anne perked up at the name in surprise. "Bradow's kid?"

"Yes, actually." Marrybell narrowed her eyes ever so slightly before relaxing her expression. Euphemia made a mental note to ask about that reaction later. "Did you know him?"

Anne nodded solemnly. "He was a good man. Bit of a demagogue at times, but no one is perfect. It's a shame he left us, but he didn't have the patience – or perhaps the stomach – to pursue his goals internally. I'm glad to hear his daughter is doing well despite the circumstances. I hope your brother declines to kill her."

A deeply uneasy feeling passed through Euphemia at that remark, and judging by her fidgeting and squirming, Nunnally felt the same. Marrybell, however, simply observed, "You sound very confident in him."

Indignant on Lelouch's behalf, Anne said, "Of course I am. Aren't you?"

"Oh, I am. I know precisely how good he is. I'm just curious where your certainty stems from."

"Experience."

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow but said, "Fair enough." There was clearly more to Anne than met the eye. "What, then, does your experience tell you he's going to do next?"

"I have no idea!" Anne said excitedly. "That's what I love about it! Oh, sure, I can tell you he's going to turn Leila's own competency against her for some grand spectacle. She's really setting herself up for that with how she's provoking him in the media. But the fun is in the mystery of just how he'll go about it. His mother must be so proud!"

 _Yes, I suppose she would be._ Euphemia had never understood Marianne's love of war, and battle, and all things violent, really. She was so kind and gentle, protective and supportive at home that Euphemia didn't know how to reconcile the two different faces of the woman who, in all honesty, had been more of a mother to her than her own. _Maybe I'll understand when Lelouch and Kallen return and I have the chance to talk to them. Maybe._

Unfortunately, the conversation had devolved into talking shop with Marrybell and Anne swapping theories on Lelouch's next move and crafting strategies for what they would do if they were in the same situation. Marrybell favoured a more subversive war of attrition while Anne advocated a bolder plan to break open Russia's lines in the east and then take the capital.

* * *

At least an hour later and long after Nunnally had left for one of her club's summer meetings, Marrybell watched Anne depart with a wary eye. She might be paranoid and jumping at shadows, but so much of her understanding of the world had eroded since Code R. It opened possibilities she would have scoffed at mere months ago but now had to factor into her thoughts.

"Is something wrong?"

Euphemia's question broke Marrybell out of her thoughts. She paid Anne one last suspicious glance before shaking her head. "No. Nothing you need to worry about." She hadn't mentioned anything about the supernatural when speaking with Euphemia, so if Anne were spying on her to decide if she needed to be eliminated, she should be safe. For now, at least. Unless they'd already done something to her and she just didn't – no, _couldn't_ remember. Maybe Anne had only been checking to see if it stuck.

"I've seen that look on Lelouch's face a hundred times when we were children when he thought I wasn't looking. Whatever is bothering you is not nothing."

Marrybell snapped out of her thoughts. Dwelling on what-ifs she could do nothing about served no purpose. The world would look the same to her either way at the end of the day. But as she'd said, it was nothing for Euphemia to worry about, so she deflected the question with a partial answer.

"Anne was very knowledgeable about the art of war. Possibly more so than me." _She spoke more like a woman twice her age, too. Maybe older. Not openly, but there were hints._

Euphemia cocked her head to the side. "I'll take your word for that. So?"

"There's only one way you get that good." Marrybell paused a moment and sank into her thoughts again before shaking herself out of them. There would be time to contemplate Anne further when she was alone. "There's a point to be made about natural talent, of course, but she said it herself: experience. The question is, where did she get it? And when?"

* * *

 **Central Province, Russia  
** **August 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

The past week and a half had been boring, tedious, tiresome, dull, trying, and taxing. It might not have been so bad if not for Shinobu and her doctor marching Kallen back to bed every time she showed even the slightest bit of discomfort. At least they hadn't objected to her rewatching some of her favourite childhood anime. Entirely unintentionally, she had her entire ward hooked on _Spice and Wolf_ , which she counted as a victory for cultural exchange. There was something familiar about the main characters in that show, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

 _You know,_ Kallen idly contemplated as she wandered the halls with Shinobu following one step behind her, _I should really track down all of the surviving big names in Japan and start my own animation studio. That's a massive untapped labour market, and Stadtfeld Industries could always use a new subsidiary. We don't do anything in show business right now._

 _Hmm… We could easily use it as a first party propaganda machine as well._ It was an impure motive, but Kallen couldn't deny its utility. _Something to think about later, I suppose._

Feeling a bit peckish, Kallen headed for the dining room and ordered a pizza for herself with the intention of sharing with whoever chose to sit with her. It was less than a minute after she'd taken her first bite when a woman sat down and grabbed a slice for herself without a word or invitation. She looked roughly Kallen's own age with black hair tied up into a bun with a pair of locks left to dangle and frame her face. It took a second or two to recognise her.

"Oh, hey, you're the six-hundred-sixteen-year-old polyglot. Cecile Carrel, right?"

The woman nodded. Between bites, she added, "Six hundred seventeen now," with a nonchalant shrug.

Smothering a laugh, Kallen said, "That'd put your birthday somewhere just before the fifteenth century, then? How was the Hundred Years' War?"

"Frustrating. I blame William the Bastard's failed invasion for the entire mess." Carrel took a bite of her pizza. "Would have been worth it if I'd been the one who got to burn Joan."

Kallen blinked at the apathetic delivery before bursting into laughter at the idea of someone still nursing a grudge six centuries later against a woman long dead. "Alright, I'll bite. Tell me a story of your adventures."

"No."

"Oh, come on. What do I have to bribe you with to convince you?"

"Not interes–" Carrel froze as something came to mind. A glint of emotion lit up her eyes. "A giant pizza."

That request brought an old memory to mind. At Aries Villa before Marianne had been murdered, she occasionally made pizzas sized for knightmares when the weather was warm. Then when she finished, everyone at the villa from the empress herself to the lowliest scullery maid would share in the fruits of her labour. Kallen had only been around for one of them, but she remembered the spectacle fondly.

"I think I could make that happen." Kallen certainly had the money, resources, and skill for it, and she suspected Lelouch, Milly, and Euphie would really appreciate the effort. Cornelia, too, if she could pull the woman away from Africa for a few days. "In fact, I know a lot of people who would be very interested in helping you eat it."

Carrel scrutinised Kallen with a sharp gaze. As she had every intention of following through regardless of whether Carrel believed her or not, she simply allowed herself to indulge in her nostalgia. No convincing should be necessary.

"Very well." At last, Carrel had pronounced her judgement. "I'll tell you the story of the original Witch of Britannia and the Witch of Orléans."

And so Kallen was treated to the story of a bitter rivalry between two peasant women fighting over Britannian-held territory in France who, at that period in history, had absolutely no business leading armies into battle. One, whose name and origins history had forgotten, held a deep, seething resentment against the Duke of Orléans. The other claimed to have been anointed by God to drive Britannia from French soil.

Carrel weaved an epic apparently of her own composition. She described the drama of the French court and the desperation that led them to listening to an illiterate peasant girl. She recounted the rapidly changing nature of war and the battles between the two so-called witches which gloriously highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of medieval warfare. She spoke of the alleged divine revelations used to outmanoeuvre Britannia, prolong the war, and ultimately put the French on the path to victory.

The longer the story went on, the more certain Kallen grew that Joan of Arc had possessed a geass much like her own. She could dismiss most of the events as the result of an undocumented but unusually robust spy network for the time and a lot of intelligence and natural talent in an otherwise uneducated woman, but as ridiculous as it sounded even in her own mind, the simpler explanation was magic couched as divine guidance. When she honestly allowed for the possibility, it became obvious.

 _And then she was burnt as the Devil in her mid twenties by her own king. That's gratitude for you._ As Carrel brought her story to an abrupt end with Joan's death nearly three hours after she'd started, Kallen applauded the performance. "I'm very impressed. Honestly, I wasn't expecting even half as cohesive a narrative as you gave me."

Carrel shrugged indifferently. "Everyone needs a hobby. I've had several."

"True enough. The ending was rather sudden, though. Am I to assume the Witch of Britannia orchestrated Joan's death?"

"Joan believed no one lay outside her sight, but all seers have their blind spots. Death was the price she paid for her overconfidence."

The implication hung in the air almost unnoticed as Kallen took an entirely different meaning from Carrel's haunting words. What happened if she ran into someone else who could alter the timeline? Now that she really thought about it, she doubted she was unique. Could someone take advantage of her method of divination to destroy her or Lelouch? Could someone do so entirely by accident?

Kallen swallowed the uneasy feeling growing inside her. She really needed to explore the beloved family pet option for her geass. This holiday would have been the perfect opportunity, in fact, and she'd squandered it. In the wake of this revelation, she consoled herself with the thought that if another seer was going to step up and challenge her and Lelouch, then they surely would have already. Or so she hoped.

For now, Kallen pushed the matter from her mind to think about later.

"So, polyglot, historian, bard. I know His Highness asked you back in Hokkaido, but what are you doing here?"

"Abiding by my contracts."

 _In other words, I don't want to talk about it._ Given Carrel's age, Kallen assumed she had trouble at home to escape from and left it at that. Before she could say anything else, however, Carrel rose.

"I hope you learnt something from this."

"Ah. Uh, yes." Caught off guard, Kallen simply said, "I did."

"You owe me a pizza." With that parting comment, Carrel departed and left Kallen to her thoughts.

* * *

 **A/N:** As I was writing Stage 20, I realised I had a lot of intermediary material. It's all important, of course, but not enough to the current arc to justify it's own stage or cluttering up the next stage with events only marginally relevant to it. Thus, Stage 19.5 was born. Enjoy the quicker update.

Before anyone says anything, I'm aware that Ryō is 17 in canon when Akito takes place and thus not an adult in the EU. I…don't quite buy that, but at any rate, I'm fudging his age. He's 18 at this point in time.

Thanks go out to Baerwald and Redderthanred31 for performing the French equivalent of Brit picking for me.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	24. R1 S20 - Lining Up the Dominoes

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 20 - Lining Up the Dominoes

 **Ashford Academy  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **August 30, 2016 a.t.b.**

Marika stormed into the room Erika and Jean shared with a magazine clenched in her hand. She waved it in the air, crying, "I cannot believe the rubbish this rag prints!" A curious Liliana, her own roommate, followed at a more sedate pace through the door.

Reclined on her bed, Jean glanced up from her book and quirked her eyebrows. As she did, Erika held out a hand and said, "Well? Let's have it, then." Marika handed the magazine over. "Oh, another letter about the countess. Is it giving her a hard time for barely holding the line against that monstrous Alexander or something?"

"Just read it."

"Alright." After a moment, Erika asked, "Are any of the first several paragraphs relevant?"

Marika waved her hand dismissively.

"Let's see… Here we are. 'But enough about me. Let me tell you about the shock of my life. I wake up with a cast and covered in bandages. I barely remember a streak of white, and I'm damn lucky to have come out in one piece. If the prince's ninjas (no, seriously, they're real, and let's just say I'm glad they're loyal to him) hadn't discovered that white knightmare before we engaged, I'd be dead. But I lived, so surely everyone got out alright, right?

"'Then I notice there right across from me is the Rose herself. If they got _her_ , who else did they get? How many of us got away?' You know, Marika, terror in the face of Kallen's defeat sort of shows a lot of respect."

Marika rolled her hand to tell Erika to keep reading.

"Okay, okay." For a few seconds, Erika mumbled to herself as she scanned the document. "Ah. 'It's such a disorienting feeling. The prince and the countess have these…presences about them. It's hard to describe. It's this mix of camaraderie and awe that makes you leap to follow them and be damn proud of it.

"'Then I see the countess sulking about our ward like she's been grounded instead of injured. Her minders occasionally march her back to bed, but she's always looking for something to do or someone to talk to. If there wasn't a ninja beside her at all hours, she'd probably try to escape. It's at that point that I remember, oh yeah, she's just a kid. One who practically raised herself.'"

"Is that it?" Liliana asked dismissively.

"'Is that it?'" Marika thrust her hand toward the offending article. "She's calling her childish!"

Both Liliana and Jean rolled their eyes. The latter went back to reading her book.

"I think," Erika began as she snapped the magazine shut, "you may be overreacting a little."

Her hair flying back and forth, Marika gave a fierce shake of her head. "She's _brilliant_. Besides, if she's a child, what does that make us?"

"Children," Jean idly stated.

Erika echoed, "Children."

"Children," Liliana agreed.

"Besides," Erika added, "I think it's endearing."

"Bah! Traitors."

That got a chorus of laughter from the other three girls. They didn't understand.

"Hey. If this letter has been published for everyone and their mum to read, that means the countess is already better, right?"

* * *

 **Somewhere in Siberia  
** **August 30, 2016 a.t.b.**

Jeremiah did his best to stare down Lady Stadtfeld with his best stern frown to which he added just a touch of disappointment and reprimand. He doubted it had the full desired effect across a video call, but he would not relent. She'd promised not to leave their shared liege unattended for a single moment, yet there she stood after two weeks of absence. Nonetheless, he said, "It's good to see you up and about again."

"It's good to be out," Lady Stadtfeld replied. "Two or three more days, and I'd have gone irrevocably mad. Of course, Lelouch kept his promise to dump most of his administrative work onto me, so there's that. Not that I'm complaining. He obviously needs the rest. He's been sleeping twelve hours a day since we reunited. I imagine he'd stay in bed longer if he could, but we don't have the time."

As Lady Stadtfeld spoke, Jeremiah hummed approvingly. Even though she'd been the cause of their prince's most recent exhaustion, she had her priorities in order.

"Anyway, how is the campaign proceeding on your end?"

"Well enough. Fortunately, the general staff who actually plan and run most operations have prevented Laertes from taking any rash actions to match your successes." After a moment, Jeremiah added, "With Lady Enneagram leaning heavily on them."

"Does she have to sit on them, or is she out in the field?"

Jeremiah shrugged. "It varies. When a sniper is needed for a critical mission, she'll usually take the job. For the greater part, however, she remains around command."

"Sounds about right for her. I wish Lord Manfredi were available to supervise. Or better yet, take control. The coming months will be critical. We need to wrap this up before winter sets in."

"Oh?" Jeremiah let the question hang in the air unasked.

"Breisgau and her Alexander aren't actually a problem. Lelouch has been _gifting_ her the occasional minor victory. Honestly, Jeremiah, have some faith."

"I wouldn't want to assume and be wrong."

With a shrug, Lady Stadtfeld said, "Fair enough. But speaking of, the final push is coming. We need roughly a month to prepare. Perhaps as little as three weeks if all goes well. Either Lelouch or I will give you a better estimate when the time draws nearer. Inform Nonette that she needs to be ready to spur the army onward."

"As you wish, My Lady."

"Later, then."

With his instructions given, Jeremiah set out to track down the Knight of Nine and deliver the news.

* * *

 **The Sky  
** **Russia  
** **August 30, 2016 a.t.b.**

At times like these, Leila wanted to spread rumours. _Clearly_ , since the prince felt so strongly against air bases, he _must_ be afraid of flying. It was only logical.

Leila, frustrated, rubbed at her temple with a heavy sigh. Moving around quickly in central Russia was beginning to become difficult. Soon enough, she'd have to start using commercial airports and private flights. If that was the prince's plan, then bully for him. He'd managed to thoroughly vex her. But things were never that simple with him. She assumed he wanted to move more openly, for whatever reason, but had little ability to defend himself from air strikes.

 _At least we're inflicting some damage on him now. The more air bases he destroys, the more material he frees up for us to use to defend other ones. Not exactly the most desirable method to gain an advantage, but I'll take what I can get._

With the list of damages from her latest bout with the prince fully read, Leila set it aside. This was, without question, still an asymmetrical war, and that was all she really needed to know. Instead, she now turned her attention to the stack of dossiers the ISB had generated while vetting everyone who'd known about the Alexander at Norivny before its deployment. No one appeared to be a spy, they'd told her, but they'd also not found anyone who might have let the secret slip.

 _Of course, if the prince's men are to be believed, he has ninja of all things working for him. That could explain much._

Nonetheless, Leila picked up the first dossier and began reading. It never hurt to know a little more about the people she worked with. She was also curious how many red flags both Ayano's and her own would have. If they'd even given her a copy, that was.

Sadly, they had not. But on the other hand, the entire Alexander team was clean. The only two Leila had worried about in the least were Sayama and Hyūga, the two Japanese newcomers with potential ties to Britannia. Sayama, however, had lost all of his family except for his parents in the Second Pacific War and didn't appear to have any surviving friendships in the colony that could be used as leverage against him.

Hyūga's life, in stark contrast, was an unmitigated disaster. His mother lost two husbands before dying young during Britannia's invasion of Japan. He had an older half-brother, one Shin Hyūga, who'd outright murdered everyone except Akito – and not for lack of trying – in the orphanage they'd been placed in before vanishing to parts unknown. His closest non-homicidal relatives not presumed dead were a great-aunt and a second cousin once removed via his brother's father, which was practically no relation at all. While technically still a Britannian subject, he'd made no mystery of his desire to gain French citizenship even if that ultimately meant a period of service in the foreign legion.

When Leila made it through the last report, she concurred with the ISB's opinion. She'd likely had a security leak at Norivny rather than a spy in her ranks. Finding it might prove difficult, however, especially if it hadn't left the city with her.

"Oh well," Leila sighed. When she found the problem, she'd learn from it and know better in the future. She had better things to do than crying over spilt milk. There were easily a dozen potential battlefields she needed to familiarise herself with, plans to make for each of them, past conflicts to review, commanders to contact. The list went on.

* * *

 **Petrov Air Base  
** **Lodovo, Russia  
** **September 5, 2016 a.t.b.**

In a reversal of circumstances from when she first arrived in Russia, Leila now sat surrounded by _her_ advisers and lieutenants, the brightest military minds in the country not preoccupied with events in the east. Only a month ago, her voice had been but one amongst many and easily ignored. Now with her success against the prince known far and wide, the public would accept no other at the helm. Mob rule at its finest.

It was not exactly what Leila had intended. Her propaganda campaign against the prince hadn't been meant to secure power for herself, only to force him to come to her. While this unintended side effect made it easier for her to act, certainly, it also pinned all of Russia's resurgent morale squarely on her. If she lost, the nation lost.

Outside, the sun slowly slipped beneath the horizon and bathed the drizzling sky in all hues of purple. Today's storm had passed and, with it, so had the prince's usual strike time. It left a growing disquiet in Leila. Where was he? Was he planning something big and carefully moving into position? Was he on holiday? Had the rain delayed him? If so, was he here in town?

Fate, it seemed, had an answer for her. A messenger rushed into the war room bearing news. The prince indeed had something special in mind for them. He'd simultaneously begun an assault on every single remaining major air base west of the Urals _except_ for the one Leila had come to with the Alexander.

Leila clicked her tongue. "Everyone, to your stations." There was no time for motivational speeches or pretty words.

Just as Leila rose to her feet, sirens blared. Seconds later, the ground shook, the windows rattled, and the air roared. The suddenness of it all sent her tumbling back onto her seat, but the shock lasted only a moment as the sound of explosion after explosion became background noise.

"Move!" Leila barked out the command, and the room burst into motion. As she rushed out the door to leave for her command centre, she spared a glance out the window with grit teeth and clenched fists. This shouldn't have happened. She'd been ready for this. She'd had more than adequate defences in place. Even if the prince had managed to get through them, she should have had at least a few minutes' warning, not a few seconds'.

 _How!_

* * *

Kallen watched the flames spread in the distance. From her vantage point nearly a kilometre away from the air base atop a cliff, she could see all the action. Every minute or so, another building would collapse, but that was mere collateral damage. The real victory lay in the loss of bombers and the extensive damage to the runway. It would take weeks to repair in a best-case scenario, and aircraft were not so quickly replaced.

"Sorceress."

"Hmm?"

"When we get home," Lelouch began, "I'm building you your statue."

It took Kallen a moment, but eventually she recalled the joke with a smirk. "That's Sorceress Supreme to you, Your Highness."

They fell silent for a moment in idle satisfaction. Lelouch had made the plan. He'd given all the orders. He could have done it all himself, but he'd fine-tuned the details with magic in real time to present this almost casual masterpiece. Kallen could only imagine what kind of impossible genius he must seem to someone not in the know.

To be honest, she remained impressed regardless. Even without the practice and instincts that came with her geass, Lelouch had grown comfortable enough querying his oracle to the point where he rarely bothered to pose the actual question he had in mind anymore. As long as she knew that a question in fact existed and he provided a yes or a no in the future which would never be, she could relay the answer back. The only limit was how quickly he could formulate the questions in his own mind and then apply the result.

"I imagine the huntress must be very frustrated right now."

"Oh, unbelievably," Kallen replied.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Push the Alexander as hard as you can on our way out. I'd like as few surprises as possible when the final battle is upon us."

Kallen nodded and cut the line to avoid distraction, her job as a prophetess finished for the moment. While they would prefer to defeat the Alexander properly in the climactic battle in a moment of pageantry and theatre, if it proved itself too strong to deal with conventionally, then they needed to know that _now_. Granted, she was using a Glasgow today they'd gone out of their way to procure from an arms dealer instead of a more readily available Panzer Hummel, but she paid no mind to such trivialities.

* * *

In the minute after the sirens blared to life, Ryō dropped his dinner and sprang into action. Clément had the Alexander ready to go by the time he reached the hanger. Moments later, he launched to join the fray before the prince escaped _again_.

As soon as Ryō left the base, he encountered a scene much unlike at Norivny. There the Brits had been in full retreat. This time they stood firm and organised as they slowly disengaged, fighting all the while. Before, the battle had been in a forest with low visibility and lots of cover. Here, an open field sprawled out before which the rain had practically turned into a marsh.

"Well, fuck." The Alexander's design emphasised agility, not durability. It wasn't made for crossing a killing field. "Damn Brits."

A forest abutted the field off to the east and sprawled northward toward where the Brits were retreating. If he went through it, Ryō could get behind enemy lines and sow chaos. The detour would take time, though. He might arrive too late to do anything. On the other hand, his only other realistic option was to hang back and unleash long-range cannon fire.

"Hey, Clément. Get me Malcal."

"Hmm… Seems she's not yet at – oh, there she is. Give her a few moments, please."

With an exasperated sigh, Ryō retreated to the base and climbed atop one of the few still standing buildings. There he transformed into Insect Mode and fired the Alexander's back-mounted cannon down into the battle. Until he got other orders, he'd have to stay put and participate in the main fight. He begrudgingly acknowledged that the Brit knew what she was on about when it came to war.

A few confirmed hits later and far more misses, Malcal's voice came over the radio. "What is it?"

"Permission to head into the forest and hit the Brits from behind?"

"No."

Ryō pulled back in surprise. In protest, he said, "The Alexander is too flimsy to be anything but a cannon here!"

"And where exactly do you think the countess is?"

The question gave Ryō pause. Now that Malcal mentioned it, he'd not noticed the usual swath of destruction left in her wake anywhere. "Another battle?" he hazarded.

"No," came the immediate, flat denial.

"She's not a problem." Ryō had beaten her before, after all.

"Perhaps, but I'm perfectly happy with her sidelining herself and you contributing. Just stay–"

During the explanation, Ryō nearly missed a warning from his fact spheres. On pure reflex, he jumped backwards just in time for a bullet to pass beneath him and through the roof below.

* * *

Kallen clicked her tongue as she reloaded her sniper rifle. _So those eyes aren't just for show._ The factspheres on the Alexander must be a drastic improvement over fourth and fifth gen versions to give its devicer enough time to dodge.

 _Or perhaps whoever's inside just has really good situational awareness. It's not impossible, I suppose. Marianne walked home just fine after a year of fighting in an exposed cockpit._

After watching her target's movements for a few seconds, Kallen lined up her next shot.

 _Let's try this again._

* * *

It was probably a good thing Malcal didn't speak Japanese, because Ryō was swearing creatively enough to make a sailor blush. A sniper at a higher elevation across an open plain was very possibly the single worst enemy for the Alexander to face.

Malcal's sigh came loud and clear over the radio. "Well, if she's going to force the issue, you might as well go fight her. Just watch out for traps and ambushes."

"Right. On my way." The moment Ryō stuck his head out from behind a building, another shot zipped past his frame.

* * *

 _I'm really not very good at this,_ Kallen chided herself. Unfortunately, sniping was too variable a business for her geass to do much in the way of aim assistance. It could, of course, tell her if she would hit or not, but except under the best of circumstances, the most she could get out of it was ballpark estimates. _Note to self: ask Nonette for lessons when we get home._

For now, however, Kallen continued harassing the Alexander as it fled toward the woods. If she got a lucky shot, great. If not, then that was fine as well. It still gave her valuable data on the Alexander's manoeuvrability, the latency in its factspheres, and its devicer's level of skill.

* * *

Ryō breathed a sigh of relief when he finally made it beneath the forest canopy and out of sight. Snipers, it seemed, were obnoxious, frustrating, infuriating arses in real life just as they were in games. Now that he was safe, though, he quickly transformed into Insect Mode and headed north as quickly as he dared.

* * *

Kallen hummed the finale to _William Tell Overture_ as she swapped out her map data for a more detailed version covering the forest specifically. If the Alexander's devicer thought he was going to get away from her, he was in for a rude awakening. She might not be able to pinpoint his position due to how long it would take to verify it, for which he would not likely obligingly stand still, but she could certainly approximate it.

"N2, is your P group ready?"

"They are. We calibrated the heavy mortars firing into the main battle already."

"Excellent." Mark always did good work with infantry. "Let's get started, then. Fire at…C4."

* * *

A dozen or more warnings lit up Ryō's displays. He immediately ground the Alexander to a halt as a virtual blanket of mortar shells descended into the forest in front of him and exploded in a wide area. A thick branch flew over his head along with other debris and shrapnel. Had he not been in Insect Mode, most of it would have hit him.

A moment passed as Ryō absorbed what had just happened.

And then he noticed another salvo falling from the sky directly on top of him.

"Oh, you _have_ to be kidding me!"

* * *

 _Hmm… It's still moving._ Glancing up from her map, Kallen saw the frantic and winding path the Alexander had taken through the forest via the fires and smoking clearings her mortar team had created. _Another round of fire, another round of misses. Disappointing, but not unexpected._

"Q1," Marc said, "that was our last round of ammunition."

"That's fine. The Alexander is nearing your minimum range anyway. Pack up and get to safety."

After delivering a crisp salute, Marc turned to do as commanded. In the meantime, Kallen ensured she saved all of her radio data – and thus targeting information – for later analysis. If they learnt nothing else from the bombardment, then they'd still uncovered the Alexander's impressive dodging skills.

 _Right, then. Time to start the merry dance._

With a slash harken firmly embedded in a tree behind her, Kallen rappelled down the cliff before her into the forest below. From her last encounter with the Alexander and given the current weather conditions, she expected she could stay ahead of it indefinitely this time. She'd have to put that theory to the test, however.

* * *

Ryō was one hundred and ten percent done with the countess. When he found her, he was going to tear her to shreds, rip her from her knightmare, and then beat her down with his bare fists before dragging her back to base as a prisoner and quite possibly ending the prince's rampage across the country then and there.

Speaking of, a notification of an approaching knightmare caught Ryō's attention. It was a Glasgow, probably the same one who'd been sniping him. A feral smile crept onto his face. How kind of his prey to present herself to him.

"I don't believe we've been introduced properly," came the countess's voice over her Glasgow's external speakers. Everyone was trained to recognise it on the off chance they bumped into her on the streets.

Ryō didn't wait to exchange pleasantries. He rushed straight at her at full speed. She fired her rifle at him as she retreated, of course, but he easily dodged as he gave chase.

"Hmm… No, French, eh?" The countess said something else in what Ryō assumed was English. After that, she said, "I'm not expecting it, but how about Japanese?"

The strangeness of hearing a Brit speak not only his native tongue but also one they'd consigned to history stunned Ryō for a moment, but only just. He roared back, "You have no right to that language!"

"Oh, how surprising. An Eleven all the way out here."

Furious, Ryō pushed the Alexander to its max speed to catch the countess. She fired a slash harken to the right, but it was a feint, as she veered left the next moment. He turned to cut her off only to be surprised when her Glasgow spun unnaturally around and sped off to the right. When he went to follow, his feet slid out from under him. He quickly recovered by switching into Insect Mode and jumped out of the path of an incoming slash harken, but he couldn't dodge the countess's mocking laughter.

"Rookie mistake. How…disappointing."

Ryō briefly noted the muddy ground his Alexander had slipped on as he took a shot at his quarry with his cannon. Unfortunately, she read his intentions and almost casually twirled away behind a thick tree. He fired twice more straight at her cover, and he could see the holes left in the trunk, but he'd either missed or the tree had absorbed too much energy.

"Need to work on that temper, Rookie-chan."

Despite his grinding teeth, Ryō had enough presence of mind to recognise that he needed to calm down. The countess obviously intended to goad him into a blinding rage. He breathed deeply, glad that he had her pinned behind cover. It allowed him a moment's peace to get himself under control.

"Private Sayama Ryō."

The countess took a second or two to reply. With a thick bank of trees between, their battle came to a momentary ceasefire. When she did respond, she seemed to have decided to drop the mockery. "Dame Kallen Stadtfeld will suffice. Let's enjoy our dance."

She then lobbed a chaos mine at him.

* * *

Leila had long since ceded local command to her staff. The prince was here, in top form, and to be honest, she didn't want to know what madness the countess had unleashed upon poor Sayama. The only reason she hadn't opted to just let the prince go and be done with him was to keep as much of his attention here as possible. The other battles were going much better for her. Those air bases were all up in flames now, regrettably, but she could dare say she was winning – not losing, drawing even, or coming out slightly ahead but actually _winning_.

It sparked an interesting theory. The prince might be brilliant, but perhaps his officers lacked even a fraction of his genius. _It'd go a long way to explaining why he's never run simultaneous operations before. If I could divide his army or even just keep him personally occupied, his battle plans might collapse around him next time._

"Ma'am, Sayama wants a word."

"Tell him to wait a moment." Quickly, Leila gave out a handful of orders to free herself up to process whatever news Sayama had for her. She then had her communications officer patch him in. "What is…" The clammy look, the slowing but still heavy breaths, and the otherwise ruffled look told a story all their own. "–it?" she finished lamely.

Sayama took a large breath to tide his lungs over for a few sentences. "The countess retreated up a cliff the Alexander can't scale. For what it's worth, she's down an arm."

Field repairs were quick and easy, though wasteful, so Leila dismissed the information.

"How's your energy filler?"

"About forty percent."

Leila sighed inwardly. Based on the Alexander's comparative energy efficiency, the countess had probably been running low on fuel when she left. "Return to base. I don't want you in another protracted fight when you're that low."

As soon as Sayama acknowledged his orders, Leila cut the line. When this was over, she needed to go over the Alexander's logs with a fine-toothed comb to find out what exactly had happened in that forest.

* * *

The first sign of Kallen's return was an unexpected swelling of the lines. After that, it became obvious when the enemy's right flank shrunk back under heavy losses. Lelouch called upon her as soon as he had a free moment.

"Report."

Quick and crisp, Kallen replied, "The Alexander is mildly damaged but delayed by terrain. I'm low on energy and down an arm. You have…eight minutes before the Alexander reappears." After a momentary pause, she added, "Well, beyond my sight now."

"Yes, now that you're back, I think it's time for us to leave. Go swap out your energy filler and then help our right flank disengage. I want to be out of here in five minutes."

"Consider it done."

* * *

 **Lodovo, Russia  
** **September 6, 2016 a.t.b.**

Leila read the preliminary report on last night's battles with a deeply satisfying sense of triumph. The prince may have rolled over her in Lodovo, but the Alexander had not fallen, and there was no question that she'd beaten him everywhere else.

 _He committed so much material to last night's battle and lost nearly half of it. That should buy me a few days of peace to regroup and reorganise while he scrambles to get his army back in working order. He'll need to shuffle resources around to continue on as he has, promote lesser replacements into vacant positions, prop up his men's morale, let them rest…_

A smirk crawled up Leila's face, and a small skip forced its way into her step. She almost wanted to twirl. Even though this was not the way she would choose to do so in an ideal world, it felt _fantastic_ to be out on her own away from the Malcals and doing something good and productive in the world.

 _Wherever you are right now, Your Highness_ – Leila didn't bother to filter the smugness out of her voice in the privacy of her own mind – _I hope it was worth it, because it certainly was for me._

* * *

 **Riviera Water Park  
** **Kazan, Russia  
** **September 8, 2016 a.t.b.**

"You look horribly disappointed."

Lelouch quickly schooled his expression and cursed Kallen's ability to read his tiniest of slips.

"Oh, you poor boy. So used to ogling your fiancée in her bikini, you don't know what to say." Kallen laughed as she reached out for some fruity drink she'd bought between when they'd parted at the changing rooms and now. Truthfully, though, she looked exquisite in a tankini as well. "Maybe I should demand you wear briefs in compensation."

"Hmph. You're mistaken." Lelouch took the free chaise longue beside Kallen and let himself fully relax for the first time in weeks. "It's just unexpected. I believe you invented the phrase 'if you've got it, flaunt it'."

"Mon chéri, I have a big, disfiguring scar on my back."

"Which prevents me from, as you claim, ogling you why exactly?" Lelouch asked in feigned confusion. The absolute last thing he wanted was for Kallen to become body conscious around him, especially not over a mere scar. His own mother had accrued dozens and had been no less beautiful for them. He _would not_ risk his choice of empress over something so asinine.

Kallen chuckled, a genuine smile on her lips. "You're sweet, but you don't need to do that."

"Tch. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Kallen threaded her slender fingers through Lelouch's own and made a point to rub her sword calluses against the back of his hand. "Don't let it bother you. Things are different back home. Our culture has a…more encompassing view of women and beauty. I'd explain the historical basis, but I'm afraid my academic interests checked out when we checked in to our resort. Let's just leave it at I don't want to give anyone here any reason to ask questions and hope the sunshine lasts the rest of the week."

After a moment, Lelouch decided to take Kallen at her word. "Very well. I bow to your expertise in the matter."

It was an hour or two of contented sunbathing and idle chatter later when a little piece of information Lelouch had been awaiting for weeks finally arrived. When he eventually got around to checking his phone and saw it, he grinned. "Hey." Rolling onto his side to place his phone between them, he asked, "What to have a little fun?"

Kallen hummed curiously. "What kind of fun exactly?" Then she saw it. "Oh, I am so in. Hang on. I think I have some recent pictures of us without anyone recognisable in the shot."

* * *

 **ISB Headquarters  
** **Moscow, Russia  
** **September 8, 2016 a.t.b.**

For the past two days, Ayano had been reduced to an errand girl. There were worse fates, she supposed. Technically, she _was_ a lady's maid anyway. It wasn't glorious or all that interesting, but it needed to be done, and it let her feel involved while she waited for something to happen. Without any relevant air bases to lurk around anymore and no leads, Leila had gone back to coordinating the search for the prince.

Ayano returned from one such chore to Leila's office just in time to witness her spray a stream of tea from her mouth all over her desk. She coughed – clearly some of her drink had gone down the wrong pipe – and reached for a handful of tissues to clean up her mess before it could stain and completely ruin her papers.

Far too curious to give Leila the chance to hide whatever had so surprised her, Ayano quickly slipped around the desk. It took her a second or two to understand what she was looking at, but once she did, she broke into laughter. On the monitor was a picture of the prince and the countess wearing swimsuits undisguised in broad daylight at the beach with a crowd in the background. The caption beneath was in English, but she could guess enough to assume it read something approximating, 'Greetings from the Volga. Hope your holiday has been as enjoyable as ours has.'

"There's no way that's real," Ayano said, still chuckling.

"That's from my _personal_ email," as opposed to the one Leila used with the military. That changed things. She gave that out to almost no one. Most who had it were nearby and accounted for. Even the Malcals contented themselves with the phone number they paid for or more public means of communication.

"Oh. Well…I don't think he got it from me. Maybe Anna? She can be a bit, eh, careless at times."

Already furiously typing a reply, Leila said, "There are easier targets back home."

That was true.

"Ayano, I need you to go tell Agent Markov to direct special attention to the Volga but to assume there's a land mine every step in front of him. And make sure I'm informed _immediately_ if anything happens in case this is a distraction. If he has someone on hand who can track emails, get them here _now_."

"Uh, right. Sure." It was too bad she'd miss Leila and the prince's spat.

* * *

A half-second after Ayano was out the door, a chat popped up with the prince and the countess.

'A charming threat, really,' the prince wrote, 'but unnecessary.'

'It might amuse you to know His Highness wanted to walk right up to you in public to talk.'

'Yes, well, my governess here insisted you might do something rash to all our detriment.' After a moment's delay, the prince added, 'My knight has just physically abused me!'

'Pay him no mind.'

Leila ignored the byplay and pressed for a proper answer. 'Who did you get this email from?'

'One moment.' Nearly a minute later, the prince replied, 'Louise Faix. Apparently, she misplaced her phone. One of my subjects was kind enough to return it to her.'

Although Leila doubted the prince would stoop to an easily discredited lie, she made a quick call to Louise nonetheless and verified what happened while she continued the conversation. 'And why have you gone to the extra effort to contact me? There are easier ways.'

'When was the last time you checked _any_ social media?' the countess replied.

 _When she puts it like that –_ 'Fair enough. What do you want?'

'Nothing, really. I have some idle time and thought to fill it. I'm most curious about you. In particular, I'd like to know why you fight.'

Leila frowned. She'd imagined the prince had more guile than this and found herself strangely disappointed. 'I'm not interested in working for you.'

'Oh? Well, we'll see about that in the years to come, but nevermind that for now. If you don't wish to answer, I'll understand.'

 _Uh-huh. Sure._ Regardless of whether Leila believed him, however, she assumed she needed to keep the prince talking to be able to trace him. She could easily see to that. 'I don't know what you want me to say. It seems the natural choice. I approve of neither Britannia's policies nor you.'

'How refreshingly blunt. I take no offence, but how much do you actually know of us?'

'Enough to know you place your own pursuit of power over the lives of others.'

'That's not entirely true,' the prince replied, 'but neither do I deny it. Which of Britannia's policies, specifically, do you disagree with?"

There were so many to choose from. 'Primarily its colonial system, expansionism, and political structure.'

'And if you were in my place, how would you go about changing them?'

When Leila went to reply, her hands hovered over her keyboard. This was not the direction she'd expected this conversation to go, nor had she spent much time considering how to fix her ancestral homeland. 'I don't know,' she answered candidly. 'But I'd need much more information and time to make a fair and honest attempt at your hypothetical.'

'Reasonable. But what do _you_ plan to do to combat this injustice you see? I assume you've thought about that at least.'

'Certainly not _propagate it myself_.' Regardless of it were a lie, a trap, or an unlikely but honest appeal, the implication in the prince's words could not be more clear. 'I already told you I'm not interested in your recruitment pitch.'

At that moment, the assistance Leila had requested finally arrived. "You have an email you need to track, Ma'am?"

"That or a chat. The prince somehow got my email."

The agent's eyes widened as he recognised the opportunity before them. "Keep him talking. I will warn you in advance that email and IMS services are static, meaning we can't execute code. If he's security conscious" – which the prince was, obviously – "we're not going to get anything, but it's worth a try."

Leila nodded and turned back to her conversation. The prince's latest message read, 'Yes, yes. But you do realise that Britannia is large enough at this point to be entirely self-sufficient, I hope. You have no realistic means of changing it externally except through war.'

'Not true. I don't have to do anything. Empires which experience rapid expansion almost universally have severe internal crises when they stop. Sometimes even before then. The obvious example is Rome and the chaos that arguably began with the Gracchi brothers.'

"May I step in for a moment?" Leila gestured for the agent to go ahead. He pulled up an internal ISB website, logged in, and went to a nearly empty page with a short textual summary, a browse button, and a generation button. "One of the boys created this a decade ago. Tracking is a simple trick. It generates an image, a video, and a web page and gives you a seemingly innocent short URL for each. When either is accessed, it tells you where the request originated from. Observe."

The agent went through the process and accessed the link from Leila's desktop. The page he got it from updated a list with an IP address, a physical location in Moscow, and a bunch of other less useful information.

"Email or IMS clients' implementations and security settings vary. Sometimes you can get a hit with the video or image without the recipient even clicking on it, but its usually best to assume otherwise. Alternatively, you can upload a file if you have something that won't arouse his suspicion to look at."

"So I need to trick him into clicking on one of them?"

"Probably your best bet. There are a few other approaches we can try. They're more complex, involve external cooperation we're not likely to get, and probably won't work if this doesn't, but we'll see what we can do. If you get logged out, your own account's credentials will work. Good luck."

'That's not a terrible plan, I suppose,' the prince wrote. 'Of course, it requires the other actors to actually halt the hegemon's expansion _and_ take advantage of said internal crisis.'

The countess commented, 'See the Emblem of Blood, in which the rest of the world utterly failed to do the latter while we got our act together.'

'Quite. Britannia is hardly going to collapse under its own weight anytime soon without cause. However, even if you can find a cause that's not based in war, as the empire crumbles, the weakened former areas become available for annexation. That's not likely to end bloodlessly.'

'To be honest,' Leila wrote now that she'd caught up to the conversation, 'I have little against Britannia as an empire in and of itself. I don't feel too strongly about nation states in a world where I can live in France yet easily maintain a normal friendship with someone in Australia.' An idea struck like lightning. 'My father actually wrote a treatise on the subject. An expansion of one of his speeches arguing for a strong central government in the EU, I believe. Let me see if I can find it.'

'Oh? How ahead of his time. It must be at least ten years old.'

'Fourteen, I think.' As Leila browsed a server Anna had set up years ago for her parents' old work and tried to recall where she'd put the document in question, she wrote, 'When I said I hoped for an internal crisis, I was more hoping for a major reformation or outright revolution specifically to avoid an international scramble for territory. I don't hate my own people, Your Highness. It just saddens me that we've become the culture-destroying slavers that our nation first formed to drive from our soil.'

Surprisingly, the countess was the first to respond. 'Speaking as someone who spent her early years outside Britannia, you should consider spending, say, a year touring the country. Travel the areas. Visit the homeland. Attend court. Britannia both is and is not what you imagine.'

Leila found her father's treatise, quickly uploaded it, and copy pasted the link into the chat. She then wrote, 'Yes, I'm sure the exile will be welcomed home with open arms.'

'Just like we are in Russia. :p,' the countess replied.

Rolling her eyes, Leila checked to see if anyone had accessed the link yet to her disappointment but not surprise. The prince spoke next.

'For the sake of argument, suppose there exists a great evil in the land. A just knight, righteous in cause, asks to train the people to slay the beast, but the monster will savage the land while he prepares. A charismatic rogue suggests innocents be selected, gathered, and sacrificed so that he may perform the deed while the creature, distracted, feasts. A hardened general insists they burn their own country and slaughter whoever happens to cross their path for the spectre, in want of food, to starve and the survivors to thrive. Lastly, a wealthy merchant suggests a mercenary army of fleeting loyalty be brought in to butcher the monster. Whose plan does the king choose?'

Leila parsed the true meaning of the question easily enough. _Revolution, Reformation, Collapse, or Conquest._ 'Were I the queen, the general's.' The prince had obviously chosen the rogue's path long ago.

'I assumed so. It's been a pleasure, Huntress. I feel we understand one another much better now.' After a momentary pause, the prince added, 'By the way, I'm curious. Where am I?'

Leila cursed under her breath and checked the access log for the link she'd sent to the prince and countess. There were two entries. 'Either Honolulu or Timbuktu,' she begrudgingly replied. The prince only laughed before disconnecting while the countess said she looked forward to their next battle and promised they wouldn't divulge Leila's email address if she showed them the same courtesy.

Nearly five minutes later and with a conspicuous red spot on Leila's forehead, Ayano returned. To fend off the question behind the girl's knowing smirk, she restated the prince's little thought experiment. "So? Which one would you choose?"

"Hmm… The rogue's plan, I think." Considering how Ayano had dealt with her own personal tragedy, that made sense. "It's gonna cause problems anyway. Might as well get it over with. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

* * *

 **Riviera Water Park  
** **Kazan, Russia  
** **September 8, 2016 a.t.b.**

"Interesting girl," Kallen said. "Wasn't really what I was expecting."

"I imagined she'd be staunchly anti-imperialistic, but then most major EU member states are still empires to varying degrees." Lelouch withdrew a book from their bag and opened it to the first page. Curious, Kallen leaned over to peek at the text.

" _The Mabinogion_?"

Lelouch hummed an affirmative. "I've been meaning to brush up on my mythology ever since you became a magical girl." As he _must_ have expected, that earned him a backhanded slap on the arm in protest of the term. "I recalled a few references that reminded me of geass, so…" He gestured to the book.

 _Now that he mentions it, I think I remember something related about…faeries?_ "Found anything interesting so far?"

"Possibly. There's a concept in Irish mythology called a geas. It can be a gift or a curse. It's a spell that prohibits some action but grants power in exchange for observing the taboo. Usually granted by a woman of otherworldly origin."

Not needing even a moment to consider the description, Kallen nodded and said, "That sure sounds like a mythological interpretation."

"I've run across a few scattered references in other Celtic–Britannian mythoses as well but none so direct. Considering the intertwined nature of the mythoses' origins, I assume the actual events occurred in Ireland with the plot device then radiating outward into mainland Britannia."

"While interesting, please recall what I told you about the state of my brain." As Lelouch chuckled, Kallen craned her neck to get a better view of the text. "So are the stories any good?"

With a shrug, Lelouch said, "I haven't read any of these before. I have a feeling you'd like the first branch of the Mabinogi, though." Kallen hummed her interest, and that was enough to get him to explain. "It's supposedly about a prince who conquers the entire otherworld and his consort who's intelligent, witty, politically savvy, beautiful, probably a sorceress, and saves the day. The two somehow have an astonishingly strong marriage despite fierce opposition."

"Alright, you've sold me." Kallen shifted between chairs to lean up against Lelouch. "Mind if I read over your shoulder?"

"I believe this is _on_ my shoulder."

"That's a no, then."

* * *

 **Volga River  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

The week of rest was over. The regiment was fresh. The huntress rested easy. The Shinozaki had left to perform their last major infiltration and surveillance operation of this campaign. The sappers had, if not finished the work Lelouch had asked of them, at least gotten far enough along for it to be ready when he arrived at the scene of the final battle.

Lelouch couldn't keep the smile from his face as his army assembled. All of the conditions were met for victory.

"I've let Jeremiah know he has one to two weeks before we end this and to plan accordingly."

"Excellent. Thank you, Kallen. Are you ready?"

"Of course. Shall we?"

With a nod, Lelouch led the way to their makeshift rostrum from which they would give their first formal address to the entire regiment since Vladivostok and the last until the final battle was won. Atop it, they could see at most a third of their army clearly. Hundreds of knightmares sprawled out before them alongside tanks, transports, supply trains, medical convoys, scout vehicles, and all other manner of gadgetry and machinery. One thousand three hundred was a small number, but that many people with all of their equipment filled an enormous amount of space.

Lelouch stepped up to the microphone first. There was too much chaos, distance, and background noise this time to be heard unaided. He quickly verified it was on, but when the crowd began to gather, he waved them off. "Time is short. Remain where you are unless you can't hear me."

Once everyone had settled down, Lelouch began. "Together again at last! It's been a long five months. We're nearly done, and I'd like to say I'm proud of each and every one of you." He paused until the cheering to die down. "I asked for a lot, far above and beyond what was expected of you when you enlisted, and all of your delivered." Again he had to wait.

"Our last mission especially I want to emphasise how impressed I am. Losing is hard, but losing purposefully? Taking fire by design without bending, without breaking? That is one of the most difficult tasks for any army of any age. Everyone who took part, congratulations."

Lelouch led the applause this time, closely followed by Kallen and then everyone who had sat that battle out or had been with him at Lodovo. Now that the introductory material was out of the way, he set into the core of his speech.

"At this point, Breisgau severely underestimates the forces available to us. Our first mission on our march west up the Volga is to capture a few cargo ships nearby. We will use them primarily to conceal our numbers and to rotate machines out for maintenance.

"Along the way, our regiment will slowly bleed numbers to fall behind enemy lines. If you're among that group, be sure not to miss your departure time when it comes, and _do not dawdle_. Unlike your previous missions, this will be one continuous operation over the course of at least a week. Rest. Recover. Seek out your equipment. But be ever mindful of the passage of time. If we are to smash Breisgau here and begin the end of this war, your timing is critical."

Lelouch paused at least ten seconds and let the silence hang. He wouldn't _lose_ if his plan went wrong, but it would prolong this conflict, and he _did not_ want to drag the war into the winter.

"Now, then. I turn the floor over to my knight who has a few final words before we set out."

Lelouch stepped aside, and Kallen moved forward.

"Everyone should have already read the report I collated on the Alexander, but I'd like to remind you all of a few key points before we march. One, and most importantly, it's land spinners aren't much different than a Sutherland's. They have a higher top speed, certainly, but comparable traction and acceleration. The Alexander's impressive agility stems largely from its ability to more closely mimic human movements and its transformed state.

"Two, the devicer is Japanese, one Ryō Sayama, and has a temper. He does, however, seem to be able to get himself under control quickly, so don't rely on it if you run into him.

"On the same topic, three, Sayama is young and new to both piloting the Alexander and knightmares in general. _Do not_ mistake me when I say that. He's liable to make errors a veteran won't, but _he's still good_. I swear, if I find out any of you died because you thought, 'Oh, he's only an Eleven,' I _will_ find a way to kill you again. After that, I'll hand you over to Shinobu for the Shinozaki clan's children to practice their torture and interrogation. Am I understood?"

An unsettled crowd chorused, "Yes, My Lady!" back at her.

Kallen nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Four, at this point, we're fairly certain there _is not_ an ejection system for the devicer on the Alexander. If you back Sayama into a corner, he has no escape. Expect him to fight tooth and nail to the very end.

"Five, the Alexander doesn't have slash harkens. Odd design choice, I know, but there it is. It comes with all of the limitations you might expect. For example, so far as we know, if you can't ascend an incline without them, neither can he. I imagine Insect Mode will give him a little more leeway than you, but the climb should be slow and leave him vulnerable."

Kallen took a slow breath and then brought her briefing to an end. "Alright, it's time for us to march. Pack up, and let's move out."

* * *

 **A/N:** Next time: _Stage 21 - The Battle of the Volga_. I am so eager to write the next three chapters.

Thanks go out to Baerwald and Redderthanred31 for performing the French equivalent of Brit picking for me.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	25. R1 S21 - The Battle of the Volga

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 21 - The Battle of the Volga

 **Volga River  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

"You're the captain of this ship?"

Kallen waited a moment for her question to pass through an interpreter. When he replied that he was, she politely explained that the ship was now hers and his crew had two options. They could either be amicably but quickly escorted to the shore or take this chance for a refreshing dip in the river.

Needless to say, the captain chose the former.

A few minutes later, Kallen radioed in her success. Lelouch congratulated her on a job well done, nevermind that a civilian container ship was easy pickings. "And the cargo?"

Kallen gazed out of the bridge onto the fully loaded deck below. "Don't worry. I've secured my portion of your building blocks for you. Rough estimate…twenty by thirty by five of them."

"Three thousand TEU? Excellent. Proceed as planned, then."

With nothing better to do on the slow trip upriver to the meeting point, Kallen retired to the captain's quarters.

"Oh, what's this?"

* * *

"Ahoy there, me matey! I be returnin' from the high seas with a fine prize and plenty o' plunder fer ye."

Lelouch paused his conversation to glance at Kallen dressed in a tricorn hat, boots, breeches, a knee-length peacoat, a sword and pistol at her hip hanging from her belt, and an eyepatch. "Wherever you found that ridiculous costume, put it back." She frowned at the blatant dismissal. The hat and coat were the only things she'd found on her ship! But a moment later he casually added, "This is the Volga. We're vikings, not privateers," before resuming his discussion. More than a few amused smiles, met her own.

* * *

 **Volga River  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 13, 2016 a.t.b.**

It really was too bad they had so little time. Kallen doubted she would ever again have the opportunity to construct anything with what amounted to oversized children's toys. Rather than an elegant and orderly structure of alternating bricks, they only had the time to haphazardly toss the cargo containers into the water so that they would roughly stack on top of each other.

Still, it got the job done. Kallen could already see the difference in the water level between one side of the improvised dam and the other. Eventually, it would rise high enough to restore the regular flow rate. Once it had, everything would go back to normal downstream before too long. Upriver, however, was a different story. That flooding would last until someone got around to demolishing the dam and, even then, linger long after on the flat Russian plain. But beyond its practical use, this was their fair warning for what was coming.

As she idly watched the water, a mild curiosity struck Kallen. "How expensive do you think our campaign would be if we paid for everything?"

Lelouch gave the question a few moments of thought. "Well, we probably dumped a few hundred million pounds into the river. The five ships we seized likely bring that number up to a billion. The knightmares we stole I'd estimate at five billion. The other miscellaneous hardware – tanks, artillery, ammunition, fuel, and such – probably cost half as much. Wages and personal expenses are negligible in comparison."

"Eight billion." Kallen whistled. "Impressive for such a small army. That's roughly…ten million pounds per soldier per year. Ten times the average."

"To be fair, we're an elite unit even as far as elite units go with an absurdly high ratio of hardware to numbers."

"True. And if we count our collateral damage?"

To the question, Lelouch returned, "Are we counting our economic impact?" Kallen shook her head, so he said, "I'd guess less than a hundred billion so far. I might even go so far as so suggest less than ten billion. I like to believe we've done a fair job constraining our activities to military targets."

"Also true. Saint Petersburg got the brunt of it, and even that wasn't _too_ bad." After a moment, Kallen shrugged. "Anyway, it looks like we're almost done here. I'm going to go find my captain's hat."

* * *

 **Russian Army Encampment  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 14, 2016 a.t.b.**

"I'm sorry, did you just say that the prince _dammed the Volga_?"

The officer confirmed the intelligence. "This morning, our scouts managed to avoid skirmishing with the prince's and laid eyes on it. The dam is constructed with the cargo from the ships he commandeered."

 _What on Earth is the prince playing at? He's practically begging for attention._ Leila shook her head. _No matter. This explains the reports of unseasonal flooding upriver and should expedite the evacuations._ She paused a moment. The prince _had_ gone out of his way to avoid civilian casualties. If he was going to maraud his way up the Volga toward Moscow and sack cities along the way, perhaps this was his idea of mercy. _I could leave the dam up and let the flood waters do their job. It'd force everyone to flee the Volga quicker without requiring me to break out the whip._

After playing with the idea for a few seconds, Leila discarded it as unnecessary. "Contact an appropriate civilian demolition contractor and have it torn down as quickly as possible." It would likely take a week even as a rush job, maybe longer, but the sooner it got started the better.

"Ma'am, there's more. Two of the prince's ships remain anchored nearby. The other three are sailing west."

That gave Leila pause. _A trap, a distraction, or does the dam serve some greater purpose and thus need protection? I_ really _don't want to split my army and pursue both objectives._ "How far until the prince reaches the next dam on the river?"

"Roughly a hundred kilometres."

"Alright, here's the plan. We divert a small contingent to secure the canal lock. If they can't hold it, they're to render it impassable and retreat. On that note, I want the evacuations up to that point accelerated. Meanwhile, we'll continue mustering our forces over the next few days. We'll take the prince's dam and then pursue whatever army he has left to him."

* * *

 **Volga River  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 17, 2016 a.t.b.**

The approach to the prince's dam was uncontested. Deep down, Leila already knew that he'd wasted her time, but she'd moved cautiously nonetheless. Her last skirmish with the prince's scouts here had been only last night. Knowing him, it was entirely possible that he had some trap waiting for her if she proved careless.

An hour later after both ships had been thoroughly searched, she knew she'd been played. The prince had left behind a tiny amount of equipment for the scouts, who had in turn left it all aboard the ships to make them appear occupied. And _of course_ the scouts had quietly slipped away at some point during the night.

Pushing aside her mounting frustration, Leila said, "Well, we might as well make use of the ships." She turned to her head of engineering. "Can we just ram them into the dam?"

"I'm not an expert, so I'd advise against it. I have no idea what effect it would have downstream. We'd only be able to clear the topmost level anyway."

"Fantastic." _What a waste of time. The prince is an extra day ahead of me now. I swear, if he disperses his army before I catch up…_ Leila sighed heavily. _He must want a pitched battle. He_ must. _He_ needs _to beat me, not just make me look like a fool chasing her own tail._ "Call in the civilians and let them take care of this mess. Leave the ships anchored where they are and tell whoever owns them to come pick them up. The rest of you, give the order to pack up. We're going on a fox hunt."

* * *

 **Izgibreki, Russia  
** **September 18, 2016 a.t.b.**

Lelouch idly strolled through a grocer's looking for his and Kallen's favourite brands of cocoa. The nights grew colder as the month progressed and autumn drew near. They might well need a hot drink to stay warm. Meanwhile, the rest of the group Lelouch had brought with him stocked up on supplies. They had plenty to last through a good long siege if needed, but he had the opportunity to resupply and saw no reason to pass up on it. It wasn't like he'd encountered any resistance. This place was a ghost town.

On the way out, Lelouch estimated the cost of the goods they'd taken, doubled the number, and placed an appropriate mix of rubles and euros inside the manager's desk upstairs. Collateral damage and military seizures were one thing; he refused to resort to petty theft when there was absolutely no need. Today's venture was to be a genteel sort of plundering if indeed it could be described as plundering at all.

Lelouch, finished with his shopping, found Kallen just beyond the front entrance in full uniform complete with rapier busy issuing orders over the radio. When he enquired after what was happening, she briefly answered, "Scout skirmish outside town." Since she appeared to have the situation well in hand, he continued on with her following one step behind in his wake. His next task was to ensure the acquisition of coats and blankets had gone well. He doubted they would be necessary before the huntress was dealt with, but better safe than sorry. They'd be needed afterwards anyway.

Soon enough, Kallen set aside her radio.

"Any problems?" Lelouch asked.

"No, just the huntress snapping at our heels. She's getting bolder."

That was to be expected. She'd had enough time to gather a large enough force to come after them. There should still be a week or so before she had her own army fully ready to commit to battle, but she had the numbers to shadow her prey's movements, hinder them, and pick off whatever targets of opportunity she could find.

"At any rate," Kallen continued, "it's good to see she's made herself useful and moved everyone on the Volga out of our way."

Lelouch nodded, agreeing. "I've heard she's only managed to evacuate the lower half of the civilian population at the upcoming dam. The rest have refused to move as 'we can't get to them'."

Kallen rolled her eyes.

"Yes, quite. Still, that's no reason not to do what damage we can to her forces there. We have time to pay them a visit before sailing back east. The huntress will think we've been repulsed, and it'll be a good place for many of us to slip off into the background as well."

"Including me, I suppose."

"Yes, including you." Lelouch knew that tone, however. "I'll be fine without you. I promise. Breisgau will think you're still with me and be appropriately cautious."

Kallen sighed. "Jeremiah is going to lambaste me for this."

* * *

 **Russian Army Encampment  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 20, 2016 a.t.b.**

An uneasy feeling settled into Ayano as she listened to the latest field report at Leila's side. The prince had tried to take the canal and continue on to, presumably, Moscow. While he'd won the battle – very easily, in fact – he'd failed to secure passage for his bulky ships. Instead of disembarking and finding alternative transportation along the river beyond the dam, he'd turned around and sailed back east. It didn't seem like his style to abandon a plan over so minor a setback.

"Recent intelligence puts the prince twenty kilometres south of the river" – the officer indicated the location on the map rolled out on the table – "marching south-southwest toward the Volga Highway."

"Please forgive my unfamiliarity with your country," Leila began, "but that road runs directly to Moscow, does it not?" After being informed that it does and a smaller map covering all of European Russia had been brought out, she asked, "Are there any major cities or strategic objectives along the way?"

"Not particularly…" No one objected to the answer, although there _was_ the underlying knowledge that the prince had already destroyed most everything of strategic or military value in central Russia.

Leila's frown deepened, and her brow furrowed. "Troubling," she mumbled to herself. "Even at his greatest strength, he didn't have the numbers to take the capital. Hubris? Perhaps, but deception is more likely." Her fingers tapped along the table as she stared at the map before her. "Do we know where his ships are?"

"We do. We found them anchored presumably where the prince disembarked." At his command, another officer put up a picture of the scene for everyone to see. Something about it niggled at the back of Ayano's mind as she stared at it.

"Defended?"

"No, Ma'am."

Finally, it clicked. Ayano silently tugged on Leila's sleeve. When she had her sister's attention, she asked, "Do we have pictures of those ships at other days?"

Despite her obvious curiosity, Leila passed the question on without enquiring why Ayano asked. As it happened, they did have older footage. It only took a minute to put the photos up beside the latest one. When she saw them, Ayano knew she was right.

"The waterline is rising lower each day. The ships are displacing less water, so they're getting lighter." It was subtle but undeniable.

Leila's eyes widened. "So that's what he's planning. I see now." She rubbed the top of Ayano's hair affectionately despite all protests to stop. "Well spotted."

Patting down her hair in a huff, Ayano offered, "Papy liked sailing," by way of explanation.

"I have a plan," Leila announced to the war room. "We're going to cut off the prince's advance. He's going to fall back. We're going to follow. We're going to pin him with his back to the Volga. And he's going to let us."

* * *

 **Volga River Fortress  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

The retreat had gone exceedingly well. They'd given ground with negligible losses more slowly than Lelouch had expected, and he'd taken the opportunity to harry and bleed the huntress's forces, always picking short, fleeting battles in favourable positions. No doubt she feared walking into a trap even with her numbers and had decided to approach with more caution than was otherwise due. It was, after all, new for her to come to him rather than the other way around.

Breisgau was right to be wary, of course. She _was_ walking into a trap. Soon, the net would close – today, perhaps, but more likely tomorrow. Some part of Lelouch regretted that the campaign had to end. He'd miss planning his strategies, the tension, not needing to hold territory, the victories, matching wits with the huntress, the camaraderie of a small but efficient and efficacious army. There would be other wars, certainly, but none like this.

There was also the casual intimacy their cover let him share with Kallen, but Lelouch planned to rectify that loss as soon as he'd given her a fair chance to say no.

For now, however, there yet remained one last battle with everything at stake. Lelouch called for a meeting. There was one final thing he wanted to do before he clashed with the huntress. It shouldn't be necessary, but he intended to leave nothing to chance.

* * *

 **Russian Army Encampment  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

Leila pinched the bridge of her nose, unable to look at the combined military officers and ISB agents before her. Slowly with as much patience and understanding as she could muster, she asked, "Can one of you please explain to me how the prince managed to build _a citadel_ from scratch without anyone noticing?"

One of their VTOL scouts had managed to take a few pictures before the prince shot it down, and the fortress was no overnight rush job. The structure itself was built atop a large hill that, with the flooding from the prince's dam, directly abutted the river. The metal and concrete walls were solid, if simple, and could withstand most munitions. Judging by the loose soil scattered around the base of the hill like a blanket, they probably extended at least one floor underground as well, which meant she had to be wary of foxholes, hidden turrets, and who knew what else. He probably had an escape route, too, given his almost preternatural ability to avoid pursuit and slip out of cordons.

Worst of all, the hill had its base dug out to present a ten foot wall in every direction. Knightmares could climb it if they had a tank to use as a step. _Maybe_ their slash harkens could bury in the dirt to ascend on their own. The ground would need to be firm enough to support the anchors. Either way, however, the prince would rain fire down upon them during both the approach and the climb. There was no point in throwing wave after wave of men to their deaths across an open plain. A siege would do nicely. She could bombard him later if she wanted. Leila just needed to ensure the prince _stayed put_.

Agent Lukin awkwardly cleared his throat. To Leila's question, he replied, "Well, all of his permits were in order." For what it was worth, he offered the offending documents for the group's inspection.

 _I don't know what I was expecting. That's so in character for him._ "Alright. No one gets any blame for not looking into every single civilian construction project in the country."

The room breathed a collective sigh of relief, much to Leila's mortification. She really should have found a way to seize power that left her with a less intimidating reputation. There would be no end to Gene's teasing when she returned to France.

"If the prince wants to hole up in his little palace, that's fine. We'll just dig in for a siege and let him starve." The Volga, unfortunately, gave him unlimited access to fresh water. "Call in the engineering corps. More than our own fortifications, we need to close or secure any tunnels the prince has at his disposal."

After a brief discussion, a few of the officers left to see to Leila's preliminary orders. With those wheels in motion, they turned their attention to discussing the fine details of how they would maintain the siege.

A man came running into the command centre, panting in heavy breaths. The entire room turned to him as he gasped out his report. "The prince started a wildfire!"

* * *

 **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

"What's that smoke?"

Kallen followed Mia's line of sight from their card game to the formerly cloudless sky behind her. Indeed, a thick, massive blanket of smoke kilometres wide rose up over the horizon and seemed to be growing larger with each passing moment.

"Hmph. It's Lelouch stealing my fun."

Clearly, Mia had no idea what Kallen was talking about. She'd never been stationed at Pendragon. Bemused as Kallen, disinterested, returned to their game, she asked, "Shouldn't we go help him?"

"No, we wait for the order. He's just landscaping."

"Landscaping?" Mia echoed.

"He's burning down the plain. There aren't too many trees, but they'll be too brittle to use for slash harkens or cover this way. Grass and such helps prevent soil erosion, too."

Now understanding, Mia said, "Ah."

"Don't get too anxious. The huntress is probably going to siege him – for a few days, at least – so we're in no rush. Lelouch will give everyone a good night's rest and time for breakfast so we can be fresh for the battle."

* * *

 **Russian Army Encampment  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 24, 2016 a.t.b.**

Clenching his fists over and over, Ryō did his best to keep his temper under control. He would be doing no one but the prince any favours if he couldn't keep a cool head.

"Ryō-kun!" That must be Ayano. He glanced up to see her hopping along atop a line of tanks toward him. "Onee-san asked me to tell you to go to bed early. In case of a night attack or something, I guess."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever."

As Ryō turned to head back to his tent, Ayano said, "Hey! You're grouchy. What's up?

"What do you think!" Ryō snapped, though he tried his best to rein it in. "Britannia practically burnt my last home to the ground. I kind of respected the prince for being better than that, but the last couple weeks show that we obviously just hadn't pushed him hard enough before."

Ayano shrugged. "I doubt the prince would ever stoop to massacres, or shelling civilians, or whatever. Doesn't seem his style." She shrugged again. "Can't say it really cuts as deep for me, though. I never had any ties to Japan."

Not really wanting to argue, Ryō just grunted to end the conversation. To be fair, it wasn't like the prince hadn't had a tactical reason for the fire. Even though Malcal had managed to put it out, the Alexander and its light armour would be all but useless now in an assault on his fortress. Still, Ryō disapproved.

"You know, if you're just upset you don't get to fight in the big, climactic battle the prince wants, I could try to talk to Onee-san for you."

No strategist worth their salt would ever change their plans over a little sister's appeals without a damn good argument behind them. Besides, the encampment needed defending. If the prince found them undefended after the battle started, they'd be in trouble. The Alexander would be more useful here.

"Tell Malcal-san I'm heading to bed as ordered."

"Alright, alright. Can do, Private." Ayano saluted in a sloppy imitation of the real thing before hopping off back the way she'd came.

* * *

 **Volga River Fortress  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

Lelouch gazed out at the encroaching army the huntress had brought before him. After their scramble last night to get out of the way of the fire, they'd finally returned and busied themselves with setting up camp once more and much closer this time. It seemed that they were settling in for a siege. He chuckled.

 _I'm almost tempted to let Kallen run around and cause chaos while we keep the huntress tied up here. If only it weren't the end of September already. Oh well._

"Your Highness." That was Sergeant Potter, one of Kallen's friends. If Lelouch recalled correctly, his first name was Mark. "I have a report from our scouts."

"Go on."

"At the moment, the Russian's outnumber us five to one. Most of their forces consist of knightmares with some artillery at the back, a handful of tanks, and a few infantry."

 _Curious._ Lelouch had expected a larger number. He assumed Breisgau still had more material available to her even if that meant stretching her garrisons thin. _Perhaps I've taught her the value of caution too well._ "Continue."

"No one has yet spotted the huntress or the Alexander."

That was not unexpected. Breisgau had the luxury of infrastructure that allowed her to focus on her job and command from the rear, an advantage Lelouch somewhat shared this time despite lacking the numbers for a dedicated support staff. Her absence also denied him the chance to capture her and her general staff, thus destroying the chain of command and forcing her capitulation. The Alexander, too, would be vulnerable here and could be put to better use guarding her. It was all perfectly understandable, though disappointing.

 _This victory won't be complete without defeating her toy, nor do we have the time to spare to hunt it down._ Lelouch sighed to himself. _How unfortunate. Still, this is enough._ "Spread the word. It's time."

* * *

 **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

It was time. Kallen relayed the message to her entire army, though many were already aware and spreading the word themselves. They were ready and moving within minutes, an unstoppable wave on a direct course to crash into the huntress's rear.

Kallen spared a few moments to ensure those being left behind hadn't forgotten their orders in the excitement, though she needn't have bothered. Britannia had not earned its reputation for having the most professional army in the world without due cause. The long-range artillery, captured equipment they'd not yet had a reason to use, had its steadfast guard.

As she herself departed, Kallen sent off one final message to Shinobu.

* * *

 **Russian Army Encampment  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

Leila was only just finishing breakfast when the siren sounded out a warning for an imminent attack on their forces maintaining the siege. After so long on campaign, she dashed out of the officer's mess completely on reflex toward her command centre.

By the time Leila arrived, the battle was already underway. A massive contingent of Britannian forces had come out of the woodwork, tearing through the rearguard like a hot knife through butter. She stared at the map displaying her troops and enemies' positions in real time in shock.

 _That's more knightmares than I expected._ The thought came with a detachedness that matched Leila's incomprehension. Where had the prince obtained so many? Her army on the ground barely outnumbered him two to one now at best.

"Please tell me we've already mobilised everyone," Leila asked to anyone who would answer her. She'd put her army into a _far_ worse position than she'd expected. When someone replied that they were departing now, she breathed a sigh of relief. Now she just needed to minimise her losses until she forced the prince to capitulate.

* * *

 **Volga River Fortress  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

Kallen wheeled and danced through gunfire and explosions, never daring to stop moving for even a moment. There were no clever stratagems here, no brilliant tactics, no grand schemes, just a brawl between two armies on an open plain attempting to whittle the other's numbers down first. Her army prioritised anything and everything with range or treads, but their only real goal was to push forward and press the Russians back into Lelouch's fortress.

The force of a near miss from a Panzer Hummel's missile rocked Kallen's frame. The explosion tore up clumps of ground and splattered against her, but she pressed onward. She lined up her shot. A burst of fire from one of her guns disabled the last of the huntress's artillery.

With no vulnerable equipment left to defend, the huntress's army _finally_ gave ground. Kallen's own did their job well. They spread out and continued to push their opponent further and further back toward Lelouch's fortress, his guns, and the unfordable Volga.

Kallen fired across the battlefield and felt some of the mental pressure from her geass let up. She really should have sent more of her friends with Lelouch. If it incapacitated her here, she was as good as dead.

A salvo of guns impacted Kallen's knightmare. The armour held, but one shot managed to slip into a joint and disable her left arm's servomotor. She swore under her breath but didn't eject it. Though locked in place, it could still fire. While it's ammo lasted, she would keep it.

This brutal slog continued for a hellish ten minutes until finally, at long last, the net was closed. Pinned between Kallen's army and Lelouch's fortress with both flanks pressed up against the Volga, the huntress's army was trapped. They'd encircled the enemy. Or they effectively had, at least; the flanks were tiny. Kallen barely had ten seconds to enjoy the feeling before she received a warning from her geass. Lelouch was going to die. Given the how and the time frame, it wasn't due to enemy action. That meant they had information to send back in time.

Kallen fell back in the lines to give her some freedom to think. There she quickly ran through the usual game of twenty questions to determine what the future held. The tactical category lead to an ambush. The nature of the ambush lead to encirclement. She then sussed out the details.

 _Oh, fuck._

* * *

"N4," Lelouch began, "take your squad to support B3 on the left flank."

The order was acknowledged and seen to immediately. The battle was proceeding well. The huntress was in a bad and worsening position, losing units at least twice as fast as he was. Simple calculus said he would win eventually, but this was such a waste of material. He hoped–

A call came in, one Lelouch had awaited since the very beginning of this battle. "Shinobu, report."

"Mission accomplished, Your Highness. All communications were severed before a distress signal could be issued, and all civilians have been removed from the site and taken into custody." And with Breisgau and her staff preoccupied fighting a losing battle with no escape, she would likely remain ignorant of Lelouch's machinations until it was too late. "We await your command."

"Do it." The sooner the better as far as Lelouch was concerned. He wanted to capture as many enemy knightmares as possible.

Shinobu dipped into a shallow bow in acknowledgement of the order. "As you command." She then terminated the connection.

 _Excellent. This will all be over in twenty to thirty minutes. All I need to do now is ensure Breisgau and I both have an army when it's done._ With that goal in mind, Lelouch reached out to her over the open channel. Surprisingly, she answered within a few seconds. _Was she just about to contact me as well?_ He hummed to himself as he contemplated the implications, but only briefly. There was a blonde ball of fury in front of him to distract.

"You greedy, arrogant, vain–" Breisgau grimaced. "What do you want?"

Although he resisted thanking Breisgau for the very great compliment, a smirk still curled Lelouch's lips. "A ceasefire while we converse."

Breisgau's eyebrows rose, though if it were from surprise, scepticism, or disapproval was anyone's guess. The woman had a mask of stone. "Very well. One moment, please." She cut the connection, presumably to see to the order on her side.

As the huntress did so, Lelouch set about spreading the word down the chain of command. Hostilities were to be suspended unless provoked. In the midst of this process, his prophetess came bearing news.

"There's an ambush coming. This is only half of Breisgau's army. You have nine minutes. _We_ get encircled."

Kallen's warning echoed in Lelouch's mind. _Half. Ambush. Encircled._ He broke out in a cold sweat as his face paled. _Kallen is out there!_ His head whirled to the nearest clock.

 _Not enough to time crush this army and then turn on the other._

Some quick mental math disabused Lelouch of the notion of fighting this out until the end. The risk to Kallen was too great. Nevermind the plan, nevermind appearances, nevermind the loses, he refused to outright gamble with her life.

 _Can I politely allow Breisgau's forces to leave_ our _encirclement? That'd prevent her from encircling us. No, too suspicious. She'd immediately know I know and restart the battle._

 _Have Kallen's group retreat? No, same problem but worse. Breisgau would give chase, and then my group wouldn't be there to support her._

There was a signal on the open channel. The huntress was back.

Lelouch slammed a fist into his command table. He needed more time.

 _More time?_ An idea occurred. He'd already obtained a ceasefire. _Yes, I need more time._ This would be the biggest test of his acting and rhetorical skills of his entire life so far. Lelouch quickly ordered Kallen to have her entire army ready to eject toward the fortress at a moment's notice. Cockpits could be put back into their frames. Knightmares could be replaced. Devicers could not. Aces could not. Queens could not.

With one steadying breath, Lelouch schooled his expression and reopened the line with the huntress.

* * *

 **Russian Army Encampment  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

Leila barely restrained herself from breaking down into giddy laughter. Of all things, the prince had asked for a ceasefire. It was too perfect. He actually thought he'd won. He actually thought he had her in a position to negotiate her surrender. No, all the prince had done with his request was guarantee his own defeat, and it would be _glorious_ when he realised that fact.

 _I am taking this war_ way _too personally._ Leila knew that, but she hardly cared at the moment. She wanted to wipe that smug look off the prince's face. "Sergeant Orlova, put me back onto the open channel."

Although the battle had already suspended, it took nearly half a minute for the prince to rejoin the so-called negotiations.

Leila led off the conversation with all the indignity due to her if she hadn't a second army en route to crush him. "Encircling a larger army with a smaller army? You really couldn't resist, could you, Your Highness?"

The prince chuckled with that unbearably smug triumphant look about him. "What can I say? Deception is an art, one in which I'm well-versed."

"I fell for nothing!" Leila protested. "I _let you_ encircle me. I _knew_ your entire army wasn't in your fortress."

"Oh? An…interesting…manoeuvre, if true."

Leila grit her teeth. "I didn't expect you to have as many knightmares as you do. Especially not after our last battle before your 'holiday'."

"Ah, yes. My knight and I went to Kazan to enjoy the waning summer sun." With Leila levelling a fierce glare at him, Lelouch added, "We did send you a picture."

 _Was that actually real?_ There was no way. "Someday your hubris will be the death of you or someone you love."

"Yes, I'll remember that when I'm parading through the streets, my people cheering my magnificence as I pass. The pageantry and splendour will be matched only by the honour and glory I've accumulated in battle. Hmm… Perhaps you have a point. I should purchase a slave on the way home to remind me of my mortality as I celebrate your humiliation."

Leila gaped at the prince. "You're unbelievable!"

And of course the prince just laughed.

As much as Leila wanted to cut the connection and resume the battle, she restrained her temper for her army's sake. She surveyed the people in the room with her and found most of the English speakers near the boiling point. She dearly hoped they didn't do anything rash and act without orders. Perhaps it was time for a change of topic.

"This is folly, you know. Even if you win this battle, this war, every step closer you take to your goal is a step further toward becoming a monster. When you become a terrible enough demon to replace the one you serve, do you really believe you'll still care?"

The prince snorted. "My dear huntress, you worry needlessly. I _am_ the biggest monster. Why do you think you hunt me?" Before Leila could formulate _any_ response to that, he continued, "Do you honestly believe I ever cared? It's merely good politics and pleases my queen."

"You cannot be serious. You cannot actually be serious right now."

"I do not tolerate slights upon my knight's good character," the prince threatened in what _had_ to be an intentional misunderstanding. "Perhaps it's time to end this. If you don't wish to fight this out to the bitter end, I'll be magnanimous in victory and accept your surrender."

Leila turned to one of her officers and silently asked how much longer she had to keep the prince and his army occupied. He held up a single finger. _One minute, no problem._ She ground her teeth together and then bit out, "What would be your terms?"

"Nothing onerous. Have your men exit their knightmares and simply walk away."

"Oh?" Leila doubted the prince had nearly enough devicers to make use of them all or even half. Besides that, however, there was another matter she found curious. "No demands upon my own person?" She'd thought he would take the opportunity to try to press her into his service.

"I have no interest in unwilling servants."

"Right… Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to reject your generous offer. You see, I'm going to win this battle."

The prince harrumphed. "I suppose you could call it a win when both our armies destroy each other. A rather Pyrrhic victory, if you ask me. It won't stop me from rebuilding at your expense."

"You misunderstand. I've wanted a set piece battle with you for months, and you gave it to me on a silver platter. I only needed to play along. Any moment now, you should see the other half of my army arriving."

The colour slowly drained out of the prince's face. His eyes widened as the certainty of his defeat worked its way through his system. Leila could pinpoint the exact moment by his expression when he received the report of her encroaching army.

"You've been stalling me."

"Don't worry. If you don't wish to fight this out to the bitter end, I'll be magnanimous in victory and accept your surrender."

"Damn you," the prince growled, hate in his eyes. Leila watched on in patient amusement, smiling, as he grew distracted with all the new information bombarding him.

 _I am enjoying gloating way too much._

"Where's the Alexander?"

Leila idly buffed her nails and, as she inspected them, casually replied, "Oh, I didn't feel like allowing you a thousand pot shots on it across the plain as a consolation prize, so I have it guarding me. I figured I'd head east with it after this. It should do exceedingly well in the taiga."

A click of the tongue met the claim. "How did you know I planned to ambush your army?"

"Your ships were getting lighter. Knowing you, it could have been an elaborate ruse to some darker purpose, I admit, but it seemed more likely you were dispersing material. When you retreated to this fortress you'd conjured out of the ether, I became certain. I _will_ give you that I grossly miscalculated exactly how many knightmares you had."

"Hmph. I thought I'd accounted for the weight difference. I should have taken the time to be more careful."

 _Well, that explains where our maths went wrong._

"If I were to surrender" – the prince looked nauseous just saying the word – "what terms would it be under?"

Leila quirked an eyebrow. "If?"

"Rest assured, I can hole up here for months under siege or make it _very_ costly for you to capture me. Let's be honest. _I_ am the problem you need to remove. If I get away, I can do this all again. Perhaps I'd head south, join up with my sister in Africa, and then sail north at the head of an army a hundred times the size I've led so effectively against you."

"An empty threat," Leila said dismissively. "Her Highness is otherwise occupied and would meet fierce opposition trying to sail both into and through the Black Sea. Besides, you'd have already lost, your plan lying in shattered ruins at your feet. The only reason you would have to return would be petty revenge."

"Nonetheless, your terms?"

Considering that the prince had little official political power, he held authority only over his own army, and Emperor Charles historically cut loose anyone who failed him, including his own children, Leila had nothing beyond the obvious to ask for.

"You and everyone you command will surrender themselves to our custody as prisoners of war. You will return all of the military equipment you've stolen. Moreover, you will personally assist me in cleaning up whatever leftover schemes you have lying around Russia, and on whatever honour you have, you will be forthright and cooperative about it."

"Fair terms in theory, I suppose, but the latter two would be hard for me to fulfil."

Leila rolled her eyes. "You don't have to return every nut and bolt, scrap iron and fired bullet. I have better things to do than participate in the world's worst scavenger hunt."

"That still leaves us with two problems. You are one of my leftover schemes."

Without missing a beat, Leila said, "I'm not interested in hearing it."

The prince smirked. "Very well. On to the second problem, then. Tell me, are you familiar with the term rasputitsa?"

"No, I've never heard of…" Leila noticed the signs of recognition in the eyes of her officers varying in intensity from puzzlement to worry to fear. She immediately enquired.

"It's General Mud, Ma'am. When the spring thaw and the autumn rains make travel off paved roads exceedingly difficult."

Leila spun back to the prince. She knew the prince never missed an opportunity to use terrain to his advantage. That mess in Saint Petersburg came to mind. He'd even gone out of his way to reshape it on occasion. That bloody fortress of his built from nothing in enemy territory was the ultimate example. A flurry of other construction projects he might have undertaken flew through her mind, and her threat assessment of the dam he'd built skyrocketed.

"What have you done!"

The prince merely held up three fingers. He lowered one, then another, and finally–

A gasp came from across the room. "He destroyed the dam!"

Leila paled as the implications hit her. "You – _you've_ been stalling _me_. This whole time!"

"Cleanup would be such drudgery, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to reject your generous offer. You see, I'm going to win this battle."

Leila had never wanted to punch someone more in her entire life.

"You have four minutes before the flood waters hit and turns this plain into a bog. Your landspinners will become useless in the mire and the mud. Even walking would be treacherous for knightmares in the murky waters. By my count, ninety percent of your two armies will become stranded atop a hill, dead in the water, or washed away. Hundreds will drown. Perhaps thousands." As though it were a mere afterthought, the prince added, "Oh, and let's not forget this." He snapped his fingers.

Five seconds later, Leila received countless warnings on her map and dozens of gasps from the room at large that made their own report. One of the hills a kilometre away from the main battle exploded in a fiery hellscape. Dirt and debris flew everywhere under the onslaught as the prince reduced the knoll to a pocket of overlapping craters, a hideous wave of death and destruction promised to anyone who fell under the bombardment.

"Long-range artillery," the prince explained needlessly. "Captured them months ago and saved them for a special occasion. Guarded, high enough altitude, and far too far away to reach in time."

Leila turned for a second opinion but only received a resigned nod in answer.

"We can avoid thousands of needless deaths if you surrender now. I'll turn the Volga red with blood and destroy your entire army down to the last man if I must."

"You would fire on your own knights?"

The prince quirked an eyebrow at Leila. "I only fielded knightmares today for a reason."

 _Oh._ In hindsight, that was obvious.

"Regardless, neither I nor Britannia as a whole _requires_ me to win more here. My terms are the same as before with two added provisos. I'll provide food, water, and shelter for your men until they can be retrieved or depart peaceably on their own. In exchange, as my victory condition only lasts perhaps half as long as its reservoir, I want you to join them in my custody as an added incentive against treachery."

"I'll consider it."

"Tick-tock."

Leila ordered the connection cut to be immediately cut, took a deep breath, and then turned to her general staff. This wasn't her country. These weren't her people. This wasn't her war. She'd leave the decision up to them.

* * *

 **Volga River Fortress  
** **Volga Province, Russia  
** **September 25, 2016 a.t.b.**

"A pleasure to finally meet you in person, Lady Breisgau."

"Forgive me if I don't feel the same."

"Regrettable, but I understand. However, now that you've surrendered, I can thank you myself for your service to the crown and to me in particular." Lelouch caught Breisgau freeze momentarily as a flash of anger surfaced in her eyes, but she banished it in a blink. This was entirely too much fun. "I appreciate you evacuating the Volga for me. The water damage shouldn't be _too_ bad, but I never would have flooded the basin if riverside civilians were present in the severely affected areas."

"I assure you, no thanks are necessary."

Still wearing a friendly smile despite the frosty reply, Lelouch said, "I look forward to working with you again in the future. Please do became the threat that Britannia will always need me for."

Before Breisgau could slap him – or punch him, considering how her hand clenched – Kallen slapped Lelouch upside the head. "Be nice."

"Hmph. She's not crying or cursing my name. Well, not aloud, at least."

Kallen rolled her eyes. She then turned her attention to the last member of their little welcome party. In particular, Lelouch knew, her gaze fell onto the katana at the girl's waist in anticipation of a match. "I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Ayano Kosaka."

"Nipponjin?"

Kosaka eyed Kallen warily for a moment before replying, "Furansuhito, demo chigaimasen."

After that little introduction, the pair descended into a rapid exchange of Japanese that Lelouch had no hope of following with his limited knowledge of the language. Judging by the look on her face when the two walked off together to do who knew what – he assumed spar – Breisgau found herself in a similar situation.

"So you brought your…"

"Sister. She insisted. It was either bring her or snap at her. This was the lesser of two evils. I trust you don't want a reputation for harming little girls."

Needless to say, Lelouch did not. "Little sisters."

"Yeah."

A moment passed in silence.

"Do you realise how frustrating it is having unfinished business with the Alexander?"

"You're welcome to waste months trying to track it down."

"No thank you," Lelouch said bluntly. "I'll get it next time if it's still relevant." He called over one of his nearby men. "Captain Green here will show you to your quarters. And your sister's, I suppose. I apologise in advance for the lack of amenities."

* * *

Ayano ducked and weaved out of the countess's quick thrusts. The woman practised some style of fencing, though not one she had ever encountered before. It was fast, it was relentless, and it pissed her off that the countess was taking it easy on her.

With a heavy swing of the thin pipe serving as her blade, Ayano forced the countess's own longer, thinner pipe out and away. She then rushed in too close to be stabbed and threw a punch. If she could stagger the countess, she could land a solid slash to the torso.

Unfortunately, the countess grasped Ayano by the wrist before her fist could reach the woman. Locked in place, she tried to bring her sword down, but the countess pulled her closer. The strike went wide and cut only air. The woman's sword hand rose threateningly. Ayano winced away as the countess struck and braced for an impact that never came. Instead, the countess bopped her on the head and released her wrist.

"Not bad, kid. Good endurance. Good instincts. I imagine you're used to fighting people your own age?" Ayano nodded, and the countess continued, "You need to be careful fighting someone physically stronger than you. One of the downsides of our gender is that's more likely to be the case than not. You'll have to adapt soon."

"Is that why you use a rapier?"

"Sort of. I do prefer light weaponry, but my particular choice of weapon has more to do with who my mentor was. Do you have someone suitable to practice with? Sayama-san, perhaps?"

"Nah. He's probably not going to move to France. He doesn't know a blade from a hilt anyway. Maybe I could ask Hyūga-san. He might know a thing or two."

Caught up in her musings, Ayano almost missed the countess ask, "Hyūga-san?"

"Hmm? Oh, he's the test pilot for the Alexander. He's better than Ryō-kun, but Onee-san wasn't willing to field a minor." Ayano smirked. "Next time for sure he'll be around and will totally destroy you."

"You keep telling yourself that, kid."

"You won't stand a chance."

"Uh-huh. What's this Hyūga kid's name, then? I'll need a suitably demeaning nickname for him."

"Hyūga Akito. Hyūga as in 'toward the sun'. Akito just in katakana."

The countess said nothing at first, but she soon broke into a knowing grin. "You fancy this boy?"

"He's very fanciable from a distance," Ayano allowed. "But I hardly know him."

"That's a good mindset to have. Still, as a future rival and enemy, needs must. Hmm… I think I'll refer to him as…Aki-chan."

Despite herself, Ayano snickered.

"Anyway, are you up for another round? I'm not terribly familiar with two-handed swords, but I can give you a few general pointers on taking down bigger opponents."

In answer, Ayano fell into a ready stance.

* * *

Lelouch knocked on the door of the small room he shared with Kallen. "You decent?"

"Close enough." Inside, Lelouch found Kallen lounging on both his and her blankets in shorts and a modest bra less exposing than her usual bikinis. "It is way too hot with this many people crammed in here."

While Lelouch agreed, there was nothing to be done for it.

"How did the recovery effort go?"

"Very well. We have far too many knightmares for our own use now. We'll hand off the excess to BALTIC and let them do what they will."

"Has our victory leaked to the public yet?"

"Well, there's a riot in Moscow." When Breisgau fell, all of the hope and stability she'd gathered about herself fell with her. As that answered the question well enough, Lelouch asked one of his own. "Learn anything interesting from Miss Kosaka?"

"Yeah, but it'll keep until we're in private. Let's just go to bed. I'm knackered."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow at her. "Are you going to give me back my bedding?"

"No."

"I see… Am I expected to be a gentleman and sleep on the floor?"

"Just come snuggle in next to me, already. We've shared more beds than your father has wives to bed."

Lelouch chuckled at the joke and did as bidden. _An excellent end to a victorious day._

* * *

 **A/N:** A more strategic battle than a tactical one this time. When I first wrote this, I thought it would be a bit of a dull climax. I wasn't going to throw away all of the hints and buildup for something entirely different, of course, so I worried this would take forever to polish. But my first read through changed that opinion entirely.

Coming up, we have reunions, rewards, meetings, celebrations, and confessions: _Stage 22 - In the Light of Victory_.

After that, we have consequences: _Stage 23 - In the Shadow of Victory_.

Thanks go out to Baerwald and Redderthanred31 for performing the French equivalent of Brit picking for me.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	26. R1 S22 - In the Light of Victory

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 22 - In the Light of Victory

 **Ashford Academy  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **October 8, 2016 a.t.b.**

 _After the Battle of the Volga, all of Russia was open to us. The people were in revolt. The government barely managed to hold itself together. The garrisons were stretched thin and thinner where they pulled troops to maintain some semblance of order in the major cities._

 _Rather than marching on Moscow as everyone expected, the prince decided that we'd done enough to destabilise the country. Instead, we travelled east back across the Ural Mountains. We were barely a day's march out on the other side when we crashed into Russia's main army retreating to reinforce the capital._

 _Catching the enemy completely unprepared, we managed to carve our way through their ranks to link up with Lady Enneagram and Sir Jeremiah leading two divisions of our main army. Between our three separate detachments unified under the prince's command, we managed to force a series of surrenders of truly mind-boggling numbers._

A call came in, interrupting Milly's perusing of the news. To her great surprise, it was the very man of the hour himself. As far as she knew, no one had spoken so directly with him since he'd left. "Lelouch?"

"Hey, Milly. It's been a while."

"I'll say. You certainly sound older. I'm touched you missed me so much that I'm the first person you called."

Rather bluntly, Lelouch said, "You're not. You're the…twelfth, perhaps. I lost count."

"Lelouch, that hurts." Milly feigned a sob. "War has made you so cruel."

"My heart is as cold as stone, unyielding and unmoved. Anyway, I'm bringing my entire army back to Japan."

"Already?" Milly asked. The war hadn't even reached an armistice yet, let alone a final resolution – not officially, anyway.

"Unless Laertes overextends past the Urals – in the middle of autumn, I might add – all that's left to do is wrap up. Besides, we've done more than our fair share, and while I doubt there are many people who would choose him over me at this point, I don't particularly wish to surround myself with the army officially under the command of the brother I just spent months humiliating."

Milly's gut twisted at the implication. "Fair enough."

"Now as I was saying, I imagine there will be a victory ball for me and Kallen when we return to Pendragon, but that'll be an exclusive event. Before I officially disperse my army, I thought I'd throw a party for them myself."

Milly jumped to her feet in glee and fetched pen and paper. She knew exactly where this was headed: the swot needed someone to plan the celebration for him. "I'll take the job!"

"No shenanigans," Lelouch commanded.

"Yes, yes. I know."

"Do you?" Despite the sceptical tone, Lelouch went on to make the offer of a lifetime. "Kallen and I are at the point in our lives where we need to find a trusted and dependable event planner familiar with the ins and outs of high society, preferably one close enough to us to coordinate our more personal occasions as well."

Milly's breath caught in her throat.

"Impress upon us that you can do this right and the job is yours."

Barely able to believe what Lelouch was offering her, Milly asked, "You want to _pay me_ to throw parties?"

"Assuming your interest and ability to rein in your eccentricities when inappropriate, yes."

As much as Milly wanted to agree immediately, this opportunity might change a lot of her plans for the near future. "You're not going to drag me out of school, are you?" Lelouch assured her she could graduate from 'the academy she ruled with an iron fist'. Pouting, though she didn't deny the accusation, she said, "I have family affairs that I'll have to deal with from time to time…"

"Do you want the job or not?"

 _Well, put so bluntly,_ "yes."

"Excellent. I'm sure we can work around any conflicts. But speaking of your family affairs, would you mention something to Ruben for me? I suspect he'll need time to consider it before I speak with him myself." Once Milly agreed, Lelouch continued, "I heard that the Duchy of Tokyo is up for grabs. I believe I have enough goodwill at court right now to ensure it lands in his lap if he wants it."

Milly swallowed and had to wet her dry mouth before she could reply. "Lelouch, you really don't have to–"

"I know it's not Ashfordshire," Lelouch interrupted, "but the marquessate is currently occupied. I may be able to give it to you someday as a secondary title for the Ashford heir, but until then, considering how deeply invested your family is in the city–"

"Lelouch. Stop." Milly paused a moment to collect herself and rub a tear from her eye. "We're doing well. You don't need to do this for us."

"Of course not. But so what?"

Milly had no ready answer to that.

With a sigh, Lelouch adopted a more sincere tone. "Milly, all politics set aside, your family was good to mine when it had absolutely no reason to be. I want to make right all the wrongs that were done while I was too vulnerable and powerless to prevent them. I can't think of a better place to start than rectifying your family's fall from grace."

With no other words coming to her, Milly replied with a simple, "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do. Now go get to work on my party. I'm expecting an extravaganza unlike any I've ever seen before."

Milly snorted as a smirk grew on her face. "Prepare to be blown away. In fact, just for you, I think I might call in a few favours."

* * *

 **Ashford Park  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **October 29, 2016 a.t.b.**

Having been kept out of the entire planning process except for a few odd questions, much to his relief, Lelouch had no idea what to expect when he showed up early to the party. It was _Milly_ , after all. The only thing he knew with certainty was that it would be a masterfully done spectacle – for good or for ill.

Indeed, Milly had gone all out. From the food to the drinks, from the service to the entertainment, she had her talents on full display. The stage, Lelouch noted, had all of the equipment hinting at one very eclectic live band or multiple smaller ones serving as background or dance music. He'd even heard a rumour that Clovis himself, master of the ballroom, had come down to meddle but had left so impressed that he'd swapped tips with his new peer.

"There you are!" A very solid glomp came at Lelouch from behind. From the mostly familiar voice, the blonde hair at the corner of his vision, and the fact that Kallen had stood by, laughed, and let this assault pass unchallenged, it could only be Milly's arms draped over his shoulders. "It's about time you got here. I very nearly feared you'd arrive too late to learn your part."

The reflexive quip about punctuality being the politeness of kings never left Lelouch's lips. Instead, he blankly echoed, "My part?"

"Yes, of course," Milly replied. "There's politics afoot here. Don't deny it. I can smell it. You wouldn't want anyone to think you're unsporting or above this sort of thing, now would you?"

Lelouch cursed Milly and her treacherous smirk even as Kallen, still laughing, said, "He's broken bread, slept, and fought alongside these people. _Certainly_ , he's not about to turn around and denounce his reputation as such a personable, relatable prince."

"I've surrounded myself with friends capable of the foulest betrayals. Come! Lead me to the gallows."

If it were possible, Milly's smile grew two sizes. "Don't worry. You have a partner."

Lelouch followed Milly's gaze onto Kallen. The girl stood bemused for a few moments before realisation struck. "Wait, what?" she protested. "Hold on. I never learnt to entertain. Not like this."

"Nonsense, my dear. You have a lovely singing voice. All I have to do is put you two together."

As the urge to flee settled deeper into Kallen's expression, Lelouch let out an amused snort. "Did I not warn you? You really should have seen this coming."

"The foulest of betrayals," Kallen muttered. The moment Milly looked away, however, she winked. Shocked at the true depth of this treason, Lelouch said nothing as his oracle added, "Lead on."

* * *

"Excuse me, but I swear I've seen you before. You weren't the one who pulled Amelia out of Tula, were you?"

"Er, no. I'm Princess Marrybell's friend," Suzaku politely explained and pointed back in her general direction. She smiled and gave a little wave.

"Ah!" The soldier's not entirely sober eyes lit up in recognition. "Good on you, mate. Heard you once took a bullet for her. Say, your father used to be prime minister, eh?"

Suzaku nodded in that stiff manner of his whenever someone mentioned his father. Marrybell sympathised. Their relationship had slowly soured from the very moment she entered the picture until its abrupt end with the elder's suicide.

"You wouldn't happen to know Shinzo, would you?"

"Oh. No, I never met any of the Shinozaki before Prince Lelouch introduced himself to my princess."

"Pity. Good folks, them. Listen, if you bump into the ninja, tell Shinzo Patrick wants to share a drink with him."

Obviously unsure how to tell the man his request would likely never bear fruit, Suzaku simply agreed and went on his way deeper into the crowd toward the nearest refreshment table. Once he succeeded in retrieving a pair of nonalcoholic drinks, he slowly made his way back to the outskirts. Several more people delayed him on his return for a brief chat, though they were all too far away to eavesdrop on.

Marrybell watched on in idle wonder. Had the strange, wilful madness that plagued Ashford Academy leaked? Sure, she could blame the alcohol, but that usually only made Britannians _more_ obstinate in their opinions and discriminations.

"Here's your juice." Suzaku handed off the drink with an odd look about him. He seemed at once both disquieted and uneasy about being so.

Marrybell thanked Suzaku and nursed her cup as she further surveyed the party. She'd not been sure of Lelouch's intentions when he'd extended her an invitation. It could have been a mere courtesy. But if she were to guess now, she'd assume it was to witness him keeping up and actively working toward his end of their deal.

"This is weird," Suzaku commented. As Marrybell idly nodded her agreement, he added, "Is that wrong of me to say?"

"Depends on how you mean it. If you take issue with being treated like an actual human being, then yes."

"It's not that. It's…" Suzaku fell silent as he fumbled for words for a time. "This is exactly what you talked me out of doing. And it worked."

Marrybell scoffed. While Suzaku wasn't wrong, he wasn't right either. "Congratulations, then. You were right. That doesn't explain why you're uncomfortable."

"Well…you were right, too."

"Damn right, I was."

Lelouch had shoved an unrepresentative group of Japanese with strong Britannian virtues down his soldier's throats. Then he'd forced them into a situation where they _had_ to play nice or be caught and ingrained the habit with positive reinforcement. All as a byproduct of a larger scheme, of course, using his privileges and connections as a prince. It wasn't a general solution nor one Suzaku could have implemented. At best, it was one step on a long and bloody road.

"Oh? Now this is a surprise."

For a moment, Marrybell froze. Suzaku sent her a strange look, but she signalled him to drop it for now as she schooled her expression. "Anne," she said, turning in place. "A surprise indeed. What are you doing here?"

"I could very well ask the same of you." For what it was worth, Anne sounded friendly.

Marrybell shrugged. "Lelouch invited me. You?"

"Kallen is trying to recruit me."

 _Kallen is? Does she know about…_ Marrybell pushed the matter from her mind to think about later.

"When I asked for an invitation, she put one in my hand the very next moment."

"So you're here for the beer and pretzels," Marrybell concluded.

"Heh. I suppose. Who's your friend?"

"Ah. My apologies. Anne, this is Suzaku Kururugi. I stayed with his family here before the war. Suzaku, this is Elizabeth Ward. She goes by Anne."

Anne reached a hand out to shake. As the two exchanged greetings, she added, "I'm an OSI agent," to explain why Kallen wanted to recruit her.

"Aren't you a little young for that?"

"I'm older than I look."

Marrybell's grip on her drink tightened. _It's official. This girl is like C.C.. That is_ exactly _the sort of wordplay someone in the know would use to amuse herself. Or test someone for recognition._ It was good she'd not told Suzaku anything about the supernatural.

"Ooh, the show is starting."

On the stage, a spotlight followed a woman striding toward its centre. She wore a flowing red dress that stopped halfway down her shin. Her hair fell loose about her, dyed her natural colour and impossibly long compared to the last time Marrybell had seen her. It wasn't Lelouch. It wasn't Kallen. Of all people–

"Is that Euphemia?"

Suzaku's incredulity matched Marrybell's own. However Lelouch had managed to get the near pacifist to so openly endorse his private war might be his greatest feat yet. Euphemia might on occasion resign herself to the inevitability of violence, but Marrybell had to drag her down that road kicking and screaming each and every time.

In the back of her mind, Marrybell acknowledged that was probably for the best. If all their plans worked out, she would need the moderating influence.

Euphemia delivered a brief welcoming and congratulatory speech that reeked of Lelouch's influence. The particular diction made it obvious he'd not written the entire thing, but it was unlike her to notice such subtleties as, for example, the casualties prevented by turning Russia's campaign inward. It _was_ , however, exactly the sort of thing one would expect someone like her to mention.

"I hope they let her sing," Anne commented. "It's not really appropriate for this type of party, but she has the most dulcet voice. Have you ever heard her sing a lullaby?"

"I've not had the pleasure."

Suzaku, on the other hand, said, "I've overheard her humming a song to herself." He wore a light dusting of red on his cheeks. "Anne is right."

Noting Suzaku's reaction, Marrybell buried her smile in her drink. What had he been up to when those two were alone? She'd have to remember to grill him later and see if he had any intentions of becoming her brother – not that that would end in anything but tears – or if it was just the usual reaction women like Euphemia tended to draw from innocent boys.

The speech ended, and as both Suzaku and Anne hoped, the band started with Euphemia still on stage. But this was no soft or sweet song. The music filled the air with energy and the urge to move. When she sang, it was with fervour and vigour. She danced with a passion that sent both dress and hair flying around her. The crowd cheered.

Anne laughed, though there was a wistful air about it. "Well, that's different."

While she filed away the reaction for later analysis just like everything else about Anne, Marrybell punched Suzaku on the arm. "You're staring."

"Ah. Sorry."

"Should he be staring at you instead?" Anne teased.

"Nonsense. Why don't you go enjoy the party?"

"Am I not?"

Marrybell heaved a sigh. This conversation had no good ending for her, so she merely turned her attention back to Euphemia on the stage in answer and left Suzaku to chat with Anne. In another life, this might have been her sister's calling. No one could deny Euphemia's grace on her feet, and Marrybell's companions tonight had hit the nail on the head: she had the voice of a siren.

Eventually, the song came to an end. Amidst cries for an encore and the subsequent promises to sing again later, the next act came onto the stage, a duo this time. Kallen had a visibly reluctant Lelouch by the arm as she practically dragged him onto the stage.

 _Wait a second. When would Lelouch have had time to…_ "Suzaku, let me know if you see Milly coming our way. I refuse to be shoved into the spotlight tonight."

Despite the laughter the request evoked, Suzaku promised to do so. On the other hand, Marrybell had the feeling that Anne intended to call Milly over if she showed her face tonight.

The sound reinforcement system snapped on for Kallen and Lelouch mid-sentence. The former's headworn microphone picked up and broadcasted, "–a little fun. What's the problem? Scared I'm going to show you up or something?"

"Hardly," Lelouch replied. He straightened the sleeve of his coat when Kallen finally released him at the centre of the stage. "This simply isn't my idea of fun. Besides, I would hate to make you look bad."

"Oh really?" Kallen poked Lelouch in the chest. "Anything you can do, I can do better." With arms crossed and a smirk, she stared up at him in challenge.

"Ha!"

And so despite his protests, Kallen led the two of them into an increasingly sexually charged rendition of _Anything You Can Do_. Long before Kallen collapsed into Lelouch's arms, out of air from her part's major sustained note, the two of them had convinced Marrybell that they were just flirting with each other in front of an adoring audience. They might have even forgotten they were singing _for_ someone rather than to each other.

"Just kiss already." Anne shouted the very same words in time with Marrybell. The two looked at each other in amusement.

"It _is_ rather obvious those two are into each other," Suzaku commented.

"Has either told you if there's something going on between them?"

Since Lelouch had never told her to keep it secret, Marrybell answered Anne's question. "If he hasn't already" – and considering their little display on stage, he very well might have – "Lelouch is going to propose just as soon as Kallen formally puts herself on the market."

Anne pumped a fist half beneath the table and hissed a quiet, "Yes!"

Marrybell silently quirked an eyebrow at the reaction but didn't comment. "She doesn't know, obviously, so don't spoil the surprise."

"Yes, obviously." Anne rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't do that to her. Oh, I can't wait to hear the story. My husband's caught me completely by surprise. He was so dreadfully nervous, though you wouldn't have known it from looking at him. Thought he was going to offend me, get turned down, and maybe even lose my services entirely.

"Silly man was worrying over nothing. We'd been working together for years, you see, and had grown close. Then one day after – well, that's classified, but he proposed to me on…" A frown, nearly a pout, settled onto Anne's face. "Well, that's classified as well. But I assure you it was very romantic."

"Be still my beating heart," Marrybell replied dryly.

Anne harrumphed and downed the last of her beer. "I should get going. It was nice talking to you. Nice to meet you as well, Kururugi." On her way out, she placed a hand on Marrybell's shoulder and leaned in close. Her voice dropped to a whisper in the ear. "I'm going to stop by with your third brother someday soon."

Marrybell very deliberately did not react to the news.

"Continue to ensure that anyone you confide in about _anything_ knows the value of discretion."

With a forced smile as Anne backed off, Marrybell said, "That sounds wonderful."

"I did hope it would. A friend of mine will be there, too, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't badger her with questions. She's not going to be in the most…tolerant of moods."

 _I'd imagine not._ "Understood. Am I allowed guests?"

"Best not. I'll see you later, then."

"Wait." Marrybell grasped Anne's arm. "Naoto?"

"Been and gone just before coming here. He's well. Be sure to thank him sometime."

"For what?"

"Think about it. I'm sure it'll come to you."

With that, Anne departed in as much cheer as she'd brought to the party. Meanwhile, Marrybell's thoughts spun at the implications and puzzles presented. There was so much to unpack in so few words. And then there was the implicit approval to speak of the supernatural with whoever. What did that mean? Anne was, if not the emperor's immediate friend, then at least his beast. What did that say about his plans for his least wanted daughter?

"Marrybell?" Suzaku placed a hand on her arm, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Yes? What is it?"

"'What is it?'" Suzaku looked at Marrybell as though she'd grown a second head. "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing."

Suzaku's gaze fell down to Marrybell's hand. It'd once held her drink but had since unknowingly crushed the plastic cup and spilled juice all over her. Now that she noticed, her hand felt horribly sticky.

"Nothing direct," Marrybell amended. "Later. In private. There are a few things I need to tell you and Euphemia. We should snag Lelouch and Kallen on their way out. They need to know, too."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **October 30, 2016 a.t.b.**

Not a few yawns passed around the student council's meeting room. As the academy was far closer to the party than Marrybell's house, secure, and where three of the five gathered resided while in Tokyo, Lelouch had decided they'd meet here when Marrybell had insisted that they needed to talk urgently.

While Marrybell and Suzaku swept the room for bugs, Lelouch and Euphie caught up with each other and Kallen dozed on the former's shoulder. It was far too late for intrigue. All Kallen wanted was to change out of her dress and go to sleep. Then again, she did miss sharing her bed. Maybe she could just nod off right now.

"The room is clear."

 _Dammit, Marrybell._

"Really?" The surprise was plain in Lelouch's voice. "I'd have assumed Milly had this room bugged."

"She has before," Euphie offered, "but the security you and Cornelia placed around the academy usually sweeps the building every night. I think she gave up."

Kallen shook with silent laughter. She had to wonder just how long it took to wear Milly 'never surrender' Ashford down.

"Ah, excellent. I'm getting my money's worth, then."

As she pinched the bridge of her nose, Marrybell said, "This isn't why I asked you all here."

"Of course not. My apologies." Lelouch gestured with his free arm for Marrybell to continue.

"Thank you." Before she could even start, however, it seemed Marrybell was at a loss for the right words. She never made it to her own chair, instead choosing to pace across the far end of the room. Eventually, she stopped, took a slow breath, and turned to face her audience. "I have evidence, though nothing that could not be faked for…very convoluted reasons with ludicrous costs, so please keep an open mind. There's much to divulge, but I'll be blunt with the most important fact." She paused a moment to brace herself for whatever shocking revelation she had in wait. "Magic is real."

' _Magic is real'?_ She really couldn't help herself. Kallen burst into laughter. She collapsed onto Lelouch's lap and held her sides as she rolled in place. Without even looking or using her geass, she could feel everyone's reactions. Marrybell glared at her. Suzaku and Euphie were taken aback both by the claim and by her breakdown. Lelouch, of course, just rolled his eyes at her and placed a hand on the crown of her head to stop her rolling. Once she had, he idly ran his hand through her hair.

"This is no joke." A controlled heat underlaid Marrybell's voice.

"No. No. Sorry. I–" Still caught in her giggle fit, Kallen plead, "Lelouch. Please."

"Allow me to short-circuit much of this conversation. Suzaku, please write down an integer."

Although hesitant, Suzaku agreed. "Sure…" He withdrew his phone from his pocket and typed a string of numbers.

Not needing any prompting, Kallen divined the number from most to least significant digit. "Nine. Three. Six. One. One. Zero. Two. Four. One. Eight. Three. Five. Two. Seven."

Wide-eyed, Suzaku spun his phone around for everyone to see the perfect match.

"Kallen is a seer. She acquired the power after we alighted in Russia." As far as explanations went, Lelouch's said a lot in very few words. Rather than elaborating, he said, "I imagine Kallen was laughing because, like the giggling sorceress here, you've chosen to call it magic. The proper term for the power is geass."

Of the stunned audience, Marrybell recovered first. Her lips first played with, "The Oracle," in full understanding before she said, "You two are so–" Exasperated, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let's swap stories. I have…more, so you first."

Kallen glanced up at Lelouch, who shrugged and furtively signalled that he'd follow her lead on whatever she wanted to reveal. Upon consideration, the only thing she wanted to hide was the exact mechanism she used to peer into the future. She trusted everyone present well enough, certainly, but the information was dangerous to spread around. Who knew what magic existed? If an enemy mind reader picked it up by chance, she could potentially become a danger to everyone she cared about.

As such, Kallen retold the story of the assassination attempt on Lelouch, this time without the minor drug high. She noticed Marrybell start slightly when she mentioned C.C., and Lelouch certainly had as well judging by the stiffening of his legs and his hand freezing in place halfway through her hair for a time.

After Kallen had finished her part, she let Lelouch handle the rest as it more directly affected him. He shared a few of their suspicions, some of their mythological research, and a little of their guesswork. They assumed Marianne had possessed a geass – though they had no idea what power it held – and that she'd received it from C.C. as Kallen had. On that subject, he laid out their reasoning for why they suspected C.C. was their silent and unseen protector against magic. He finished with a warning that the emperor likely had a geass of his own and incomplete control over whatever other sorcerers the man employed.

Marrybell took that surprisingly well.

Lastly, Kallen asked Euphie to hand her pen and paper. Using her phone as a poor mirror, she sketched the red bird-shaped silhouette ever glowing in her left eye.

"This is the geass symbol. If you ever see it, be wary. Mine is in my eye." Kallen tapped a finger beside it. "That said, no one has commented on it yet and Lelouch hasn't been able to see it at all since I got it, so I assume you need to be magical to see magic. Cameras don't pick it up, but I can see mine in the mirror. Don't ask me how that works. It probably doesn't involve photons."

With their story finished, Marrybell started hers. "I haven't had as direct an encounter with magic as you two have. The subject of Code R's research was C.C.."

Kallen's eyes widened. She rose halfway up onto her arms and asked after her brother. When Marrybell assured her he was fine, she breathed out a sigh of relief and settled back onto Lelouch's lap.

"C.C.'s geass appears to grant her rapid regeneration, effectively rendering her unkillable and, from your description, ageless."

 _Immortality, eh? Seems like a top tier power._

At the same time, Lelouch facepalmed. "Of course we never found her," he muttered. "A woman in her twenties. Looking for a teenager."

"It should come as no surprise, considering what you two told us," Marrybell continued, "but apparently she's friends with the emperor." Indeed, that astonished no one. "Naoto effected her rescue, of course, but someone asked for his assistance. Lelouch, it was Sayoko Shinozaki."

That came as Kallen's first true surprise of the night – Lelouch's, too. Euphie's shocked gasp caught Marrybell off guard. Apparently, she hadn't known the name meant anything to her sister.

"Sayoko is alive?" Euphie dared to ask.

Once Marrybell had nodded, Lelouch delivered an impassive, "Go on."

"I don't know where she is. Naoto asked her questions on your behalf, but apparently all she told him was that she didn't witness your mother's murder and Marianne ordered her to keep quiet."

"Not surprising," Lelouch said. "Magic explains much of the mysterious circumstances of her death."

"Is Sayoko well?"

"As far as I know, Euphie, she is. She was responsible for our missing Shinozaki agent as well, who returned in good health after she disappeared again. For what it's worth, she personally liberated C.C. during the Code R raid and seems to have the ability to control others. I'm guessing, mind, but I think she can possess exactly one person while still retaining control of her own body."

With impressive speed, Euphie put the facts together. "Then Duke Calares's assassination…"

 _Duke Calares?_ Kallen had heard that name before. Then it hit her. _The man jumped off a skyscraper. Yikes._

"That's horrid," Suzaku commented. "Imagine what else she could make someone do."

Euphie leapt to Sayoko's defence. "She wouldn't ever take advantage of her geass."

Lelouch agreed. "But we obviously need subtle ways to identify each other. I expect there are others with similar magics in the world."

"Something to do tomorrow," Marrybell said. "I should also mention that Ashford's resident OSI agent, Anne, is involved with the Code R cleanup. I don't know how deeply, but I do suspect she's older than she appears."

"Hence she's magical," Lelouch concluded. "Or Sayoko is controlling her."

Kallen considered that for a moment but ultimately discarded the idea. "I doubt it. When I've spoken to her, at least, the personalities, their speech, the way they move – they're too distinct, in my opinion, even for a master of disguise. In hindsight, though, it wouldn't surprise me if she were ten or twenty years older than she looks now that I know immortality is an option."

"She did seem a capable general," Euphie offered. "Enough to engage you in debate, Marrybell. I don't recall Sayoko being so inclined at Aries Villa."

 _Oh dear. That must have bored Euphie to tears if she had to sit through that._ Kallen smiled to herself but didn't comment.

"It's not just that, however," Marrybell said. "She's made several comments that lead me to believe she was once close to your side of the family."

"A friend or subordinate of my mother's, then, I assume."

Lelouch likely had the right of it, but now that he brought it up, Kallen recalled something Anne had told her. "They have similar backgrounds, actually. It wouldn't surprise me if Marianne had been her patron at one point. Hence her codename."

After a few moments, Lelouch said, "Yes, that must be it."

Marrybell yawned. "Well, I think that covers most everything. Suzaku and I need to get home."

"You're welcome to spend the night here," Euphie said. "I'm sure I can find room for you on campus."

After a quick exchange between Marrybell and Suzaku, she said, "No thank you. I think I prefer the comforts of home. Can I leave you to explain Nina's situation for me?"

 _Nina?_ "Nina Einstein?"

Euphie ignored the question and instead assured Marrybell that she would take care of it. Acting as a good host, she saw the two out to the doors of the student council building and left Kallen and Lelouch alone to discuss everything they'd heard so far.

"Thoughts?"

"I'm glad Sayoko is alive," Lelouch allowed. "I'm less thrilled she vanished for seven years."

Kallen felt much the same. "I'll head down to the ghetto and speak with Naoto in person tomorrow."

"It can wait." To Kallen's arched eyebrows, Lelouch added, "Naoto isn't going anywhere. We just got back and threw a huge party. Let's take a few days to rest."

That was much appreciated, and Kallen told Lelouch as such. They'd not had much of a break since they'd holidayed in Kazan. Life had been an endless string of battles, marches, travel, and bureaucracy since, not to mention watching their backs to prevent Laertes from plunging a knife into them.

Just as Kallen was about to fall asleep, Euphie returned. She grumbled an unintelligible curse upon royalty and their timing as the princess stared at them as though they were some manner of strange beast. Lelouch arched an eyebrow, and Euphemia sighed a smile onto her face.

"Welcome back. It's been too long."

"It's good to be back."

Kallen yawned. Sheepish, she said, "Sorry. But I agree. At least it was a relatively short campaign."

"Mostly thanks to you two. I won't say I'm happy to see more of my family off soldiering, but…well done, I suppose." High praise from Euphie. She cleared her throat, eyes darting between Kallen and Lelouch. "I've been wondering all night, but I've been…distracted."

An amused snort escaped Kallen.

Euphie hesitated. "Magic? Honestly?"

"You experienced the lighter shock," Lelouch insisted. "My seeress here nearly died protecting me, and guess what the first thing she does when she wakes up is? She plays Russian Roulette with herself to prove it all to me."

As might be expected, Euphie facepalmed. Kallen, despite the reaction, maintained that she'd picked the most efficient and efficacious means of convincing Lelouch of the truth. In the privacy of her own mind, however, she did feel somewhat abashed.

"Anyway, are you two courting? It's just, well…" Euphie gestured at them.

That was a definite no, although Kallen did understand the confusion. "We're not, but we've acted as though we were engaged for months. We have some habits to break." Not that she much wanted to. The flirting had felt like a natural extension of their younger banter, and she'd miss it when it was gone. Someday she'd have to take Lelouch as a lover.

"I'm hurt. Can you so easily break the bonds of our love?"

Kallen cupped Lelouch's cheek with a hand, sliding her fingers up his jaw, and met his eyes. "I've wept until I ran out of tears, mon chéri. I cry inside now."

Observing the two, Euphie chuckled. "I see. If you decide otherwise, I'm open to gaining a new sister. But speaking of sisters, I'd like to apprise Cornelia of magic and your suspicions about Marianne. It would mean a lot to her."

"I don't mind," Kallen replied. "If she needs proof, I'm available. Lelouch?"

"Go ahead. We should inform Jeremiah as well."

"Nunnally?" Kallen suggested.

Lelouch shook his head. "She's too young, I think. Perhaps the Valkyries, though?"

"Maybe." Those girls had potential, but Kallen wanted Nunnally to rub off on them before she trusted them with anything important. "I'll have to check up on them. I'd assume not right now. Milly?"

"Please tell me you're not serious."

 _As if I need to._ "Could you imagine?"

"I'd prefer not to, thank you. Do we tell Naoto about your geass?"

Kallen hesitated but made the only decision she really could. "No. He's not an enemy, exactly, but he's also not on our side. Maybe someday, but until then, it's enough that he knows about magic."

"As you wish. Now then, what's this situation with Nina Marrybell mentioned?"

Over the next ten minutes, Euphie explained how Nina came to be caught up in the Code R raid. While that was unfortunate and Kallen promised to tear a strip off her brother for it, it paled in comparison to what the girl had been working on in her unassuming little laboratory on campus.

"Why am I not surprised Milly managed to collect a mad scientist?" Lelouch took the words right out of Kallen's mouth. "I trust you have the matter under control?"

"We do. And with that, I'll leave you two for the night. Please try to remember that you have separate bedrooms."

Kallen paid no mind to the teasing and wished Euphie pleasant dreams.

"Good night, Euphemia. Thank you again for performing tonight."

"It was no trouble. I rather enjoyed myself, actually." Euphie shifted in place and gnawed on her lip. She said, "Don't hesitate to call upon me if you need me," and then slipped out the door.

After they were both sure Euphie was gone, Lelouch said, "We have separate bedrooms?"

Kallen rolled her eyes.

* * *

 **Kōzuki Resistance HQ  
** **Nakano Ghetto, Area 11  
** **November 3, 2016 a.t.b.**

The whispers spread far in advance of their subject. The Black Queen had returned to the ghettos. Kallen found herself mobbed with well-wishers and gift-bearers. As she looked around, the standard of living seemed to have improved from abject poverty to the regular variety, but she politely declined the offerings she needed _far_ less than the people here.

Well, mostly. She did fall to the temptation of fresh taiyaki. She'd never claimed to be a saint.

Kallen's journey slowed almost to a crawl as the crowd grew, but on the upside, she had hundreds of people actively volunteering to show her to Naoto. He'd taken up residence nearby but could usually be found at the ghettos' central government building during the day.

Despite herself, Kallen had to laugh at the irony. _It seems my brother has managed to make himself the de facto Earl of Greater Tokyo. I don't think I'm ever going to let him live this down._

Eventually, Kallen made it to the secretary stationed just outside of her brother's office. The woman announced her presence only to receive a hasty, nervous, and stuttered, "Thank you, Ito-san. Just a second," in reply.

Kallen quirked an eyebrow at Ito who in turn silently extended her pinkie finger.

"My brother is hard at work, I see."

While she successfully suppressed her laughter, a smile still forced its way onto Ito's face. "Kōzuki-sama is our hope for the future, and you should show your brother respect."

"I don't suppose you have an older brother?" When Ito said that she did, Kallen asked, "What would you do in this situation?"

"Barge right in."

And so Kallen did. She met no resistance. Inside, she caught Naoto and some woman both still with ruffled hair and clothes in disarray. At least they were technically fully dressed. She closed the door behind her.

"Ah! Kallen, I, uh, this is Inoue Naomi."

"Good afternoon, Countess Stadtfeld." Inoue dipped into a deep bow, probably as much to hide her blush as to show respect to her lover's closest remaining family. "We've met before, actually."

Kallen sized the woman up. Brown eyes; good figure; a pretty face, though nothing Clovis would write sonnets about; obviously Japanese, though the indigo hair hinted of at least some foreign ancestry. She could see why Naoto found the woman attractive on a physical level, though there remained the personality to consider. _Who was she again?_ After a moment, it came to her.

"Oh, yes, the engineer. I remember you. You do good work. It's nice to see you again." Kallen turned to Naoto. "Sister-in-law, prospective, or other?"

Although put on the spot so bluntly after all but being caught in the act, Naoto had since regained his composure. "Prospective."

Kallen hummed in acknowledgement. "You're done very well for yourself since I last visited, Lord Kōzuki."

"Yes, yes. Very funny," Naoto said, distinctly unamused by the remark. "It's more complicated than it looks. I'm trapped between Sumeragi-hime and Marrybell-san in whatever game they're playing with each other. I assure you it's not an enviable position."

While curious, Kallen declined to enquire any further on the subject. Unless Naoto or Marrybell reached out to her for help, she was content with only a cursory knowledge of the situation so long as her brother remained safe. Better to not know, she figured, considering that she was Britannia's new favourite daughter.

"I'll not ask. I'm here on another matter. I'd like to talk about the" – Kallen gestured to Inoue with her eyes – "unusual aspects of Code R."

"Naomi knows more than me." Seeing the surprise and hint of reprimand on Kallen's face, Naoto explained, "She decrypted the data we acquired."

"Fair enough. In that case–" Kallen walked up to Naoto and slapped him. "–that was for Nina-chan."

Rubbing his cheek, Naoto in turn said, "Fair enough."

"Good. Now tell me everything."

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
** **Pendragon, Britannia  
** **May 19, 2017 a.t.b.**

"This is so pointless," Kallen said. "I've _spoken_ with the emperor on multiple occasions. All of Britannia knows who I am. This isn't even my first social function."

Cornelia chuckled as she adjusted a few pins in Kallen's hair. "Yet a debutante you remain."

With a huff, Kallen turned her attention back to her reflection in the mirror. _I really should do something about my eye. Maybe a contact lens would hide my geass. It's too easy for other sorcerers to identify me as one._

"You're unusually testy this evening," Cornelia observed. "Is something wrong?"

"Not particularly." It was just what this evening represented that tried Kallen's self-restraint. She might as well hang a large neon sign above her head proclaiming her availability and capacity for reproduction. More than that, though, was the prospect of finding a husband. It might not happen anytime soon, but it _would_ happen. She'd not pretend to not have enormous and growing value on the marriage market. Someday they'd need to cash in on it.

"There." Cornelia stepped back and looked Kallen up and down. "Perfect."

There were words for this situation, and perfect was not one of them. "White is not my colour, I hate jewellery, hair extensions are so tiresome, and I'm unarmed."

That last complaint especially elicited a laugh from Cornelia. "One night," she said. "One night, and then you can go back to your usual manner of dress and play with your hair all you want. You can attend the rest of the Season in uniform if you wish, but tonight is all about tradition. I'd be a terrible guardian if I let you make a spectacle of yourself."

"I know," Kallen sighed.

Cornelia laid a hand on Kallen's shoulder and offered her an encouraging smile. "Do try to enjoy yourself tonight. Meet new people. Accept at least a few dances. Be polite. Who knows? Maybe one of the young men professing their undying love for you might actually mean it."

The only reply that deserved was a snort and a roll of the eyes.

"You never know. At any rate, I'll be with you the entire night to ward off the more unsavoury breed of noblemen."

A smile tugged at the corners of Kallen's lips. "Been practising your glare?"

"I have." At Kallen's request, Cornelia demonstrated. She did have a gift, it seemed, and her reputation as a warrior princess would only enhance the effect. "Are you ready?"

Although she heaved a sigh, Kallen nodded.

* * *

The procession of debutantes carried on for what felt like hours, each dipping into a curtsy when presented to the sovereign before eagerly pressing on to mingle amongst high society ostensibly for the first time. Many were eager to find a good husband. The ambitious would use the ball as an opportunity to make connections.

In contrast, the emperor was as he always was: somber, solemn, serious. The discerning eye, however, could spot the signs of apathy and boredom in his movements and expressions. Would it not cause a riot from the social snub, he'd likely retire for the evening and leave Schneizel to act in his place. Even so, the man had a larger than life presence that filled his corner of the ballroom.

Lelouch watched the line of young women be introduced to his father as he carried on a few idle conversations. Most of them held no interest to him. A few he noted to ask for a dance to introduce himself. One face in particular he'd not expected to see but planned to speak with at length before the night was through.

Finally, Kallen arrived with Cornelia escorting her, a role that, had things been different, her mother traditionally would have filled. She resisted some no doubt amusing snark when it came time for her to 'meet' the emperor; Lelouch could see the temptation clearly on her face. When she was done, he excused himself from his conversation to go ask her for her – and his – first dance.

"Good evening, Milady. Would you honour me with your first dance?"

"I suppose it would be nice to start the night on a high note. Assuming my guardian doesn't chase off a scoundrel like you, of course."

Cornelia nodded sagely. "It's true that princes only ever have one thing on their minds."

Lelouch gave his sister _a look_. After years of not-so-subtle remarks and observations on Kallen's suitability as a wife, did she really intend to make this akin to pulling teeth?

Message received. With a mildly repentant smile, Cornelia said, "Go on. The next song will start soon."

And so Lelouch led Kallen through the throng out onto the dance floor. The music began shortly after; it was to be a waltz.

"So?" Kallen asked after a time. "Any big plans tonight?"

"Perhaps." They depended on Kallen remaining unattached at the end of the ball, a not unlikely prospect. Lelouch had contemplated waiting until the end of the entire Season, but after their time together in Russia and the long months since, his patience wore thin. He wanted his fiancée back.

"Oh? Any lovely ladies you intend to sweep off their feet?"

Lelouch admitted that there were a few he intended to ask for a dance. "Much of the night I intend to dedicate to searching for diamonds in the rough. For most of the young ladies here, this is their first exposure to both the political world and us."

"True. I suppose I should make my rounds with the men, then."

"If you'd like," Lelouch said. "I only ask that you please, for the sake of my sanity, if not your own, don't dance with someone twice unless you're interested in courting him. We don't need such drama in our lives."

"Yes, I know. I don't want to deal with that either. Cornelia ensured I learnt all of the social cues and faux pas to watch out for."

When the song ended, Lelouch returned Kallen to Cornelia's custody and pointedly ignored the displeased look she gave him as he left when Kallen wasn't looking. He'd never really considered her the matchmaker type, but then he doubted her persistence was entirely of her own creation. Over the years, he'd found several personal items of his mother's hidden away inside Aries Villa. Amongst them were her intentions for her 'darling protégé and handsome boy', plans she'd no doubt shared with her dear friend and step daughter.

There had been more, too. Lelouch chuckled to himself at the memory of a side of his mother he'd never expected. _Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Marianne the Flash: expert assassin, peerless general, unrivalled warrior, compulsive shipper._

* * *

"Excuse me, Countess Stadtfeld."

Kallen turned from her attention from the group that had surrounded her for conversation. Standing a respectful few steps behind her was a blue-eyed, blonde, handsome boy with an easy smile. He towered over her, easily clearing six feet in height. He had a trio of thin braids trailing down from the base of his neck but otherwise left his short hair wild and free in a controlled untidiness.

"Yes…" Kallen tailed off, waiting for an introduction.

"Gino Weinberg, heir to the Addersfield earldom." Not a name or place Kallen recognised. "Could I trouble you for a dance?"

Seeing Cornelia give her nod of approval, Kallen said, "I suppose so." To the crowd, she said, "Excuse me, gentlemen."

While Lord Gino led Kallen out to dance, she lowered her voice to avoid being overheard. Despite his height, she had her suspicions. "You look a little young to be here tonight." And he admitted it with an easygoing smile and laugh.

"I turn sixteen at the end of November. That's not so far off."

"Gatecrashing just for the pleasure of dancing with me?" Kallen teased. "I'm flattered."

Lord Gino, clearly determined to prove himself the consummate flatterer, assured Kallen that her acceptance honoured him and he'd remember tonight for the rest of his life. "Would it ruin the moment too much if I asked you a few personal questions about business and politics?"

"Feel free." As Kallen had the sense that her current dance partner was not the usual breed of nobleman, she added, "Better that then subtly enquiring after how to get into my knickers," to test his reaction. He laughed, which was a good sign.

"I heard your company recently started an animation studio in Area Eleven."

"We have."

"And you staffed it primarily with Japanese who used to work in the industry."

 _Japanese? Interesting._ Kallen shrugged. "What can I say? I spent my early years in Japan, and I miss anime. I know I'm not the only one, and no one wants a Britannian knockoff. It should be a profitable enterprise. The labour market was begging for someone to seize it."

"It's not the only place you employ numbers in high positions."

"It's just good business. I can appreciate prioritising Britannians in the job market, but numbers are citizens as well – however begrudgingly – and it's amazing how much you can get out of them when you're one of the few employers who don't treat them like refuse."

Lord Gino fell silent as they moved through the steps of their dance, his smile thinning. He seemed to be mulling something over.

"I didn't take you for the type to be interested in obscure economics."

"I'm not."

"Ah," Kallen said in understanding. She took a leap of faith on her intuition. "It's policy, then. Or perhaps ethics." When no immediate denial came, she quickly pressed on with her deductions. "There were easier ways to open this dialogue with me than whatever you had to do to get yourself in here uninvited, so there's intrigue involved. I'm far too well connected, rich, and powerful for this to be some ill-conceived plot at my expense. Perhaps we should skip the fanfare; I strongly disapprove of current imperial policy pertaining to numbers."

The smile crept back onto Lord Gino's face the longer Kallen spoke. When she finished, he said, "You have a certain reputation, and I'm glad to see it's real. I need your help."

* * *

A glimpse of wavy brown shone through the sea of faces. Lelouch headed through the crowd in pursuit of the brunette, politely declining a few invitations to speak along the way. Tonight, he'd found the hostility directed at him nowhere near as bad as it had once been against his mother. He was only _half_ French commoner filth, after all, and now a war hero on good terms with many of the empire's most powerful men and women.

Even so, the attention he received was nothing compared to the swarm he'd noticed gathering about Kallen. Without even factoring in her personal wealth, whoever married her became the consort to the most deceptively modest peerage in Britannia. Well over two percent of the homeland's entire population lived in New York City under Kallen's rule. By all rights, she should be a duchess, but any attempt to change the title could see her lose it entirely or have her domain broken up into a hundred smaller territories, so a countess she remained. Regardless, she was the grand prize for anyone in need of a wife.

Of course, with so many people vying for Kallen's attention, none of them would receive more than a few fleeting moments of it. Though he'd expected it, it hadn't been his intention. Lelouch did intend to drive home that she had options other than him tonight. He refused to make her feel trapped by oaths and promises. But he admitted to himself that he felt much more at ease to go about his other business tonight this way.

And one piece of that other business happened to be in front of him now. Lelouch dipped into a polite bow and struck up a conversation. "Lady Oldrin, I must admit I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

"We finally meet." Lady Oldrin curtsied in return, though in a manner more appropriate between equals or friends than to royalty. Lelouch took the hint. "Marrybell has told me a lot about you."

"She's mentioned you a few times to me as well. I thought the infamous Oldrin Zevon would have returned to her princess by now."

Oldrin pouted. "I would have, but my uncle managed to get me to promise not to leave until I'd been through my debutante ball. It was only a few more months, and she has Suzaku to protect her for now, so…you know." That last remark came across singularly despondent.

Seeking relative privacy both from Oldrin's escort and everyone else, Lelouch offered his arm. "Would you like to dance?"

"Of course."

When they were away from the most obvious prying eyes and ears, Lelouch quoted, "'For all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been.'" Oldrin looked surprised, so he explained, "She denies it, but Kallen loves poetry, so I've made something of a study of it."

Oldrin's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Marrybell mentioned you'd be wooing your ladylove tonight."

"If all goes well, I hope to be engaged. I didn't pull you away to speak of my love life, however. Is there something you'd like to get off your chest?"

The pair moved in time to the music for what felt like minutes before Oldrin sighed. "Why not? Marrybell tells me you like to think of yourself as her 'good-ending counterpart'." She adopted a wry smile. "When I was young, I met a princess. She came to live with me, and we quickly grew to be the best of friends. We made promises to each other, and I saw my life with her playing out _exactly_ like yours and Kallen's."

It took a few seconds, but Lelouch eventually picked up on the subtext. _Well, that's…unexpected. And complicating. But potentially useful if Marrybell reciprocates. If only she weren't a pariah._

"I don't think my ladylove is interested." A wistful sigh escaped Oldrin. "Marrybell told me she plans to knight Suzaku soon, too. I don't – we're not as close as we might have been. I don't want to scare her away. Marrybell has never exactly been…stable, shall we say, since I met her, and she's getting worse. I used to help her with that; there were times when she said she felt like her old self again. But then suddenly there was a continent and an ocean between us. Then came the war. Then Suzaku. Then the you-know-what with Clovis. I have no idea what to do now."

Lelouch imagined himself exiled to Japan, befriending Suzaku, and leaving Kallen behind in the homeland. He emulated Marrybell's bitterness and distrust and then contemplated the problem. How would Kallen get through to him? How _had_ she gotten through to him? She'd managed to nip most of his issues in the bud before they could spiral out of control.

"Nothing particularly instructive comes to mind, but I have advice if you wish to hear it."

"Please."

"There are _many_ reasons I call Kallen my friend, but what I appreciate most about her is her reliability. Loyalty. Fidelity. Whatever you want to call it. At the end of the day, no matter what I've done, I know she'll always be both at my side and on my side. If I caused a massacre, she'd merely ask how I planned to make things right and how she can help." Lelouch snorted. "Probably slap me first, knowing her, if not outright punch me.

"Regardless, having that constant in my life is indescribably precious, and I don't believe Suzaku fulfils that function for her. They're apart too often and" – the admission slipped grudgingly from Lelouch's lips – "he seems better suited for Euphemia, in my opinion," _so long as he keeps his hands off her._

Oldrin wore a thoughtful frown as she asked, "And how do you suggest I go about so imprinting myself upon Marrybell's heart?"

"Well," Lelouch began, "Kallen and I naturally fell together over time and then underwent a series of life-changing experiences that ended with multiple bodies on the floor and our family scattered."

Naturally, Oldrin stared at Lelouch as though he'd gone mad.

"If Marrybell is anything like me, she can pick up friendships after months or years of neglect as though no time has passed. It's very likely she still considers you her best friend, nevermind if she also considers Suzaku as such. That's step one complete."

"Uh-huh…"

* * *

Cornelia had found a quiet section of the palace for Kallen to hear out Lord Gino's request. Far removed from the ballroom and the celebrations, the trio settled into a comfortable reception chamber. He glanced at the princess and politely expressed his concerns about her presence here. He tried to be subtle, but Cornelia saw right through him.

"I assure you," Cornelia began sternly, "I have little interest in imperial policy so long as Britannia continues to thrive. My only concern here is if someone who saw us step out were to find me alone and spread uncomplimentary gossip about my ward."

"She's much nicer and more open than her reputation suggests," Kallen said in summary.

Cornelia sent Kallen a glare. She sent a smile back.

"Well, I suppose I'm the one asking for a boon. Guess I can't complain. Alright. A year ago, my family hired a new maid. She and I hit it off right away. She was brilliant, witty, beautiful–"

Cornelia cleared her throat.

"Er, yes, well, she was also Japanese."

Sighing silently, Kallen slumped back in her chair. She already knew where this was going.

"We were caught kissing, and that was all well and good until I had the gall to suggest I wanted more from her than her body. My father had her beaten and thrown out onto the streets. My parents have had me watched since, but I finally managed to find her last month. She's… Well, let's just say she needs help."

 _So do millions of others._ As much as Kallen wished it otherwise, even her resources weren't infinite. She had to prioritise. This situation, however, seemed fairly straightforward. _I can help the noble already inclined toward numbers' rights, buy his support cheaply with one good deed, and feel good about myself. On the other hand, I can turn him away, probably have him brand me a robber baron forever because love gives no ground to reason, and feel bad all night. Yeah, easy decision._

"I'll help." Once Lord Gino had finished his exuberant thank yous, she pressed him for details. "I know this must be hard to talk about, but I need to know more about the situation. First, does she have or is she expecting a child, yours or otherwise?"

"No, thankfully."

Kallen nodded. That simplified matters significantly. "Is she in need of medical aid?"

"Nothing physical that I know about."

 _So therapy._ "Education?"

"I…don't know, actually." Lord Gino rested his jaw on a hand in thought. "She knew enough to help me with my schoolwork at the time, at least."

And so the discussion continued.

* * *

Lelouch was not nervous, but he had to admit he felt uneasy. The ball neared it's end, and he had no idea where Kallen was. Worse, he knew she'd left in the company of some tall, handsome boy. Cornelia, too, but that meant little to the early stages of romance. She probably considered this justice for not asking Kallen to be his empress on the spot.

Perhaps he was a little nervous.

It was then that Lelouch really noticed the palpitations in his chest, his shorter breaths, and the fact that he hadn't stood still for at least five minutes.

Perhaps he was very nervous. He _was_ about to propose, after all. Kallen knew very well that he wouldn't ask to court someone he didn't intend to marry. Too much unnecessary drama otherwise with the possibility of earning lifelong enemies. Besides, he already knew what he needed and wanted from his empress, and she knew that, and she knew he knew she knew that, and–

With a deep breath to calm himself, if only in his mind, Lelouch gave up the search to get himself a drink to nurse and satisfy his fidgeting. Once he'd obtained one, he found a quiet spot with a commanding view of the ballroom to await Kallen's return.

"You look anxious."

Lelouch glanced at the woman a few steps away. Like him, she was leaned against the wall and merely observing the ball. He quickly took in her features: lime green hair, golden eyes, and one of the blankest expressions he'd ever seen. She looked younger than Kallen, yet her lack of a white dress likely meant she wasn't a debutante, oddly enough.

"Yes," Lelouch said distractedly. "I suppose I am." A second later, he remembered his manners. "Lelouch vi Britannia. I don't believe we've met."

"We have." Despite the curt reply, the woman didn't sound or act offended.

"Sorry, but I don't recall meeting you. May I ask your name?"

"C.C.."

Lelouch's head spun back to the woman. Now that he knew what he was looking at, she matched Kallen's and Marrybell's descriptions of her _exactly_ : she hadn't aged a day.

There were so many questions to ask. Lelouch found himself with the impossible task of picking one. It was only fitting that the most pertinent yet useless one eventually tumbled out of his mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"Marianne bribed me."

Lelouch ground his teeth together knowing full well he was about to bash his head against a brick wall. "What do you know about my mother's murder?"

"Everything."

In the privacy of his own mind, Lelouch vented his dissatisfaction with that response on the woman. Before he could ruin this opportunity and invoke the witch's wrath, however, a more practical idea occurred to him. "Can I bribe you to give me a real answer?"

A pregnant silence fell as C.C. considered the proposition. "No," she said, but her eyes betrayed her interest. "I won't betray my contractors' confidences. I could, however, be persuaded to pressure someone else to tell you."

That was more progress than Lelouch had made in years even considering his discovery of magic. "What do you want?"

"We can discuss that whenever we next meet. For now…" C.C. pointed up at the balcony overlooking the ballroom. A few seconds later, Kallen walked out of a stairwell leading up to it with Cornelia in tow. When Lelouch turned back to C.C., she'd already started walking away at a relaxed pace. "Remind her she owes me a pizza."

Lelouch had no context to understand C.C.'s parting remark, but it hardly mattered. Clearly, he was intended to make a choice.

* * *

With weary feet grateful for sensible heels, Kallen greeted the wall as a welcome partner, silent and supportive in its subtle labour. Cornelia noticed, of course, and gave her a dour frown but ultimately let the matter pass without comment and allowed her to rest. The ball would end soon, and for that she gave her thanks.

Kallen sipped her wine and surveyed the crowd below from the balcony. Here in the heart of the empire had gathered thousands of Britannia's greatest men and women. Hundreds of them had come specifically for her to meet, to dance, to woo. She'd had a few subtle offers of marriage already, though none she'd accepted. No one wanted to miss their chance with Britannia's new favourite daughter.

It'd been a long night even before Gino had brought his problems to her. It was, all of it, exhausting. The evening couldn't end soon enough.

"What a surprise to find a rose as a wallflower."

Kallen huffed, annoyed, and pushed off from the wall with a gentle nudge of her hips. "Welcome back. Meet any interesting women?"

"A few," Lelouch said with a politeness that belied his general disinterest. "Oldrin Zevon is here."

It took a few seconds for the name to click. "Oh, Marrybell's other childhood friend, right?" After Lelouch nodded, Kallen asked, "What's she like?"

"I stepped through the looking glass and found your counterpart."

"Ooh. Tell me more."

Lelouch's eyes flicked behind Kallen briefly before he said, "Perhaps later." Curious, she glanced in the same direction but found only Cornelia a few steps away silently watching them. "The ball is nearly finished. Would Milady honour me with her last dance?"

"I suppose so. Assuming my guardian has no objections."

"Go on," Cornelia said blandly with the oddest hint of underlying eagerness. "Social niceties have tried my patience enough already tonight."

"Well in that case" – Kallen took Lelouch's offered arm – "lead on, Your Highness."

Together, the pair made their way back downstairs. Kallen noticed that they were attracting more attention and whispers than she had alone but paid it little mind. The music lulled a moment, and they found some open space to claim for themselves. As the next song began and they stepped to the rhythm, she teasingly asked, "So, did you find love tonight?"

"Of course not," came Lelouch's ready response. "Love is not something one finds in a moment."

"True. I hope you're not expecting me to attend the entire Season."

"There are a few events we won't be able to avoid, but to answer the spirit of your question, no, I don't see the need."

Kallen spun in place at Lelouch's direction, a much welcomed respite. The first words of an unsavoury conversation lay on the tip of her tongue. She'd been meaning have this discussion for years but had put it off over and over again. Now she was officially on the market; she could avoid it no longer. Sacrifices might need to be made. She steeled herself, gathered her resolve, and then spoke.

"I _am_ willing to marry if necessary," Kallen said stoically.

Lelouch said nothing for a few seconds as he peered at her with an impassive, quizzical gaze. He seemed oddly hurt before understanding showed on his face and mischief in his eyes. "Ah. I didn't realise you were so opposed to the institution."

"Huh?" Kallen returned his earlier bemused look. "I'm not. At all. Not the way Britannia structures it, at least. Empress Annwn did an excellent job generalising it. I just meant that if a marriage of convenience is necessary for our plans, I'm…not unwilling."

"Ah, I see." The tone of voice Lelouch used made Kallen acutely aware that he was making sport of her, although she knew not how. Despite it and her own admission, she still felt the sting of betrayal when he added, "I'd prefer us both to be happily married, but perhaps you'll learn to love your prospective husband."

"You – you already have someone in mind?"

Lelouch arched an eyebrow as if to say, "Who do you think I am? Of course I do." Aloud, he replied, "I have for years. I admit I thought you had as well, but if you want to assign blame, you should rest it at Cornelia's feet."

 _Cornelia?_ Kallen's gaze snapped up to the balcony where she found the woman in question watching her and Lelouch dance. " _She_ suggested it?"

"Indeed. With an insistence that I doubt is entirely her own. The emperor himself spoke to the same effect, in his own way, which leads me to believe my mother's hand is at work here."

Incredulous, Kallen's mouth hung half-open as words tried and failed to form on her lips. It was not unusual for the emperor to arrange political marriages for his own children, but for him to play _matchmaker_ , even in a no doubt lesser form, it boggled the mind. And Marianne had been the source of it all? When Kallen was young, innocent, and not looking to put Lelouch on the throne?

The betrayal hurt. Kallen clenched her teeth and tried not to dig her fingernails into Lelouch as the fire within ignited into a blaze. She might be willing to be married off for the greater good _now_ , but that was her own choice. She was not chattel to be sold. Even her own father had made her freedom to marry as she wished clear to her. How could Marianne believe she had the right to decide such things? And this after Kallen had saved her son from death! Who had she even intended–

Kallen's train of indignant thought ground to a halt.

"Oh," she mused.

It occurred to her now that this was, in fact, her second dance of the night with Lelouch.

"Oh!" she cried in full realisation.

As she reflected back on everything Lelouch had said, a fierce blush erupted onto her face. She'd been so prepared to discuss a marriage with anyone but him and so used to dancing together that she'd missed the obvious.

"Oh," she said more shyly.

And then all of the ramifications of what this would mean struck her. She wanted Lelouch as a lover; she'd not deny that or prevaricate here and now. But an actual marriage carried infinitely more weight because of who they were. Her head spun as her thoughts raced.

Lelouch chuckled. "Now the lady understands. There's no reason to sell your body so cheaply. Besides, what good is loyalty based in lust and greed? Such support is as mercurial and changeable as the weather."

A fair point, Kallen admitted.

"How you continue your bloodline or not is your decision, and it would appear I don't have to fight for that right myself."

"Why me?" Kallen asked. She _knew_ she was attractive in many aspects. She'd never lacked confidence there. But Lelouch was not a particularly sexual person. "I know we wouldn't be having this conversation if you weren't already set on marriage. And all that it entails."

"Do you desire the truth or a romantic lie?"

Obviously, the former was what she needed, but Kallen wanted revenge for earlier. She pressed herself flush against Lelouch, never once disturbing their dance. She moved gracefully on her toes to allow her access to his ear. Well aware of her breasts pressing against him, she spoke in a sultry whisper. "Lie to me."

When Kallen pulled back, she took in the sight. Lelouch's movements were stiff, and she caught a hint of red at his cheeks and along his neck. Nevertheless, he hid his fluster well and gave as good as he got. He, in turn, held her close and spoke in a soft, amorous voice.

"As you wish. I have wanted you from the very moment I knew what it meant to want a woman. Even before then, I intended to marry you. I can only imagine what unearthly creature in female guise could enchant my eyes to stray from your beauty and my attention from your charm.

"Our time together in Russia has but exacerbated my longing. Before, I thought I knew everything about desire. Now? I must confess that the mere sight of you sets my loins ablaze. Every day I feel my control slipping. Every night it is your visage that haunts my dreams. This willing madness terrifies me. I fear what I might do, how I might stray. Yet no part of me can help but surrender to it. If you would have me, I ask of you to indulge my lapse in reason and be mine in return."

Through the firmly closed lips of Kallen's smile came the staccato, smothered sound of her laughter grasped in tight but slipping reins. She held it at bay while Lelouch spoke and for a few seconds after, but the dam broke soon enough under the assault. She abandoned all pretence of dancing, buried her head in his shoulder, and broke down into chortles and giggles that shook her entire frame. To an outside observer, she no doubt looked to be sobbing. She did have tears in her eyes, but not from joy or sorrow. Her face had grown as red as her hair as she struggled to catch the occasional breath.

"Lelouch," Kallen protested in a gasp. Her smile never left her still very red face. "Do you want to get us thrown out?" The occasional giggle yet assaulted her as she spoke. "'Loins ablaze'?"

"If Milady would but control herself…" Lelouch trailed off with a satisfied smirk.

"Oh, quite. I see we're both afflicted with similar problems now. I'm not going to be able to keep a straight face around you for months."

"Of course not," Lelouch stated. "You'll be too overcome with love and swoon at the sight of me. It's our shared curse. We're both too beautiful for this world, much less each other. Truly, we are star-crossed lovers."

Kallen snickered. This was going to be one singular proposal story someday. In a much better mood now, if slightly winded, she said, "Alright, enough. I've heard the lie. What's your real reasoning?" and pulled Lelouch back into their interrupted dance.

To the question, Lelouch offered a more sincere smile and a shrug. "I've considered all other women and found them wanting."

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Thank you for the concise summary. Would you care to elaborate?"

"There's both so much and so little to say. I could justify my intentions for hours on end, but it's not complicated. I want a healthy domestic life in the imperial family going forward. I trust you with the reins of power. Your eclectic background makes you uniquely qualified to be empress of the Britannia we intend to create."

In another world, if things had been different, such pragmatism might have offended Kallen. She knew, however, that there were few – if any – people Lelouch cared about more than her. As such, she lightly asked, "Are those your only reasons?"

"The only pertinent ones I care to mention." To that rather plain statement, Lelouch appended, "After all, what would married life really change for us?"

"Sex."

"An enjoyable diversion, I'm sure. I admit that I don't fully understand the obsession with it or its ubiquity in human culture, but I _do_ find _you_ attractive."

" _Heirs_."

"A more distant ordeal, one I'm confident we can weather once we're more settled and have the time to be parents."

Kallen opened her mouth, but no objection came out this time. She pursed her lips in thought. She and Lelouch already made most of their decisions together. They both had enough wealth that neither bothered to consider who paid for what or why. They'd spent years living under the same roof. They knew each other better than most couples and had a friendship to match. They'd been through _far_ worse experiences together than most ever would. They'd even shared a bed for months.

"You know, now that you mention it," Kallen began, "we should probably check to see if Pendragon has any irregular marriage laws we need to be aware of."

"Yes, I can imagine the scandal. 'Commoner prince married like the commonest of commoners'. Hmm, it might not be a bad idea."

"Perhaps," Kallen allowed, "but _if_ I were to be married, I would want a proper ceremony."

"If?"

"Yes, if. No one I care to mention has actually asked me for my hand."

"Ah. Then let me be direct. Kallen, will you marry me?"

Kallen placed a hand on Lelouch's cheek. With a gentle yet insistent pull, she brought his lips to meet hers. This was not the place for an extended, passionate snog, but damn if she hadn't wanted to do that for the longest time. "I will," she said.

Lelouch broke into the widest grin, probably the most airy he'd ever had, one Kallen couldn't help but mirror. "Brilliant!"

"I have some conditions."

Still a bit dazed from the kiss, Lelouch said, "Whatever you want."

"Oh?" Kallen couldn't let that one go by without challenge. She trailed her hand along Lelouch's jaw until she reached his chin and then brought her fingers up to play with his lips. "Give me the throne?"

"I wouldn't mind if we shared it with you straddling me."

Kallen flushed at the image evoked. They weren't just teasing or flirting with each other or putting on an act anymore. Lelouch really meant what he said. That was going to take some getting used to.

"What promises did you actually want?"

"Nothing major. No children before my twenties no matter what wacky circumstances come up. I refuse to be a teen mother."

Lelouch chuckled. "Of course."

"When the time comes, we both agree on when. If one of us says no, the other backs off."

"I never imagined otherwise, but I understand why you want to make that clear from the outset."

Kallen hadn't thought Lelouch would have any other response, but there were certain expectations placed upon an empress consort from both her husband and her empire. Kallen refused to be pressured into fulfilling them before she was ready.

"I want a healthy domestic life as much as you do. No bloody harems. Ever." Kallen knew by his smirk that Lelouch was laughing inside. Still, it needed to be said even though both of them knew that sort of mess would never arise. "If, for whatever reason, one or both of us feels the need to complicate this relationship, we make that decision together."

"I don't foresee that being an issue, but agreed on both points. Anything else?"

"Yes." The music had ended. The ball was over. Kallen pulled herself up to whisper in Lelouch's ear. "I'll need you to help me out of my dress tonight."

Eyes wide, it took Lelouch three long seconds to find his voice again. Even when he had, it was somewhat hoarse. "I think I can do that."

"Good." Kallen pulled Lelouch down for their second kiss. "You know, I find it very fitting I'm marrying the eleventh prince."

Lelouch chuckled. "Life is full of little ironies."

"So it is. Come on. Let's find Cornelia and head home."

* * *

 **A/N:** I've had the core of Lelouch's proposal written since I finished stage bloody two. I'm so happy I've finally gotten to it. This story is now officially tagged as Kalulu at long last. By the way, although they're not uncommon as a personal choice, engagement rings (and wedding rings) are not a Britannian custom in the world I've created, so please don't give Lelouch a hard time for not having one.

If you're wondering, Clovis will be dealt with in the next stage. He's not dying off-screen. The next stage, _In the Shadow of Victory_ , will be interwoven with this one.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	27. R1 S23 - In the Shadow of Victory I

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 23 - In the Shadow of Victory I

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **November 4, 2016 a.t.b.**

 _There's a storm rolling in from the south._ Marrybell stood in front of her parlour's great bay window as she made the observation. Tomorrow she knew would bring sunny skies, but tonight promised wind, and water, and the thunderbolt.

Marrybell loved a good deluge. They blinded the eye, deafened the ear, muted the foot. She'd have never gotten Suzaku to safety during the invasion without them. The pouring rains were much like a warm blanket to those who wished to move about unseen. He'd hardly needed another gunshot wound.

Even older memories arose, remnants of simpler times. Oldrin had so loved rain, and mud, and puddles, and everything that came with them. The silly girl had once even insisted on singing for her disgraced princess during a downpour. At the time, Marrybell hadn't understood the point, but it'd been a fun day nonetheless. The thought brought a soft smile to her face.

But then a wet Oldrin brought _other_ ideas to mind. That girl had the figure of a goddess. Drenched in water, her clothes would hug her every curve. Oh, and then she'd complain that they were just too tight and toss them off without a care in the world. "We're both girls, after all," she'd whisper in the ear, temptingly close. "What does it matter?" And then her hands would reach out for her princess's wet dress, trailing agonisingly close past the breasts on the way to the zipper behind. Then came the faint hum of bare flesh's unwrapping for her pleasure.

Flushed, Marrybell swatted the fantasy away. _Not tonight. Not tonight._ Such pleasant diversions had a time and place, but here and now was neither. She had plans, and they didn't involve another lonely night in her bedroom. When the sound of approaching footsteps came from the corridor, she jumped in surprise and quickly busied herself with nonchalantly stoking the fire.

A few moments later, Akane entered the room with tea and desserts for two. As she set them down on the table, she said, "I can take care of that for you, Marrybell-sama."

"No need. It's done already." Marrybell quietly sighed to herself in relief and returned the poker to its place. She tossed a fresh log into the fireplace and closed the screen. "Besides, who doesn't love playing with fire?"

"I hope there's less metaphor to that than I fear."

One could say that daydreaming of Oldrin fit the bill, but Marrybell kept that to herself. "There will be time enough for that next year. I'm afraid I have nothing to worry you with but the regular variety tonight. How dreadfully boring."

Akane looked at Marrybell as though she were an odd, curious beast.

"What?"

"If you don't mind me saying, Marrybell-sama, you've been much more a merry bell these last few days."

Marrybell rolled her eyes.

"Did something happen?"

A lot had happened over the past year, but one recent event did stand out. "I suppose so. I've been holding onto a rather dangerous secret for some time. Now that you mention it, it wore me down more than I thought. It feels good to finally have it off my chest." Or more precisely, the constant feeling of paranoia had finally abated. Or it somewhat had, at least.

Akane arched her eyebrows. "That must have been some secret. Considering all the other ones you keep, I mean."

"You have no idea."

"Well, a problem shared is a problem halved. I'm happy for you." When she finished setting the table, Akane asked, "Shall I call Suzaku-san down for you?"

"Yes, thank you."

Once Akane had left, Marrybell returned to idly watching the approaching storm as she contemplated how to approach the coming conversation. With Clovis's demise fast approaching, it was time to start making concrete plans for stabilising Japan and purging the corruption. No more sitting on evidence. No more – well, _less_ working in the shadows.

Suzaku arrived soon enough, and Marrybell asked him to sit down. Unfortunately, the invitation came off more as an instruction and visibly made him raise his guard. She chided herself for getting started on the wrong foot even if she did intend on a little interrogation. Still, what was done was done. She might as well get started.

"So what's going on between you and Euphemia?"

Suzaku had the eyes of a guilty man, but he didn't blush as expected, oddly enough. Perhaps, Marrybell considered, she'd been mistaken. Perhaps he didn't fancy her sister. She would know one way or another before the night passed.

"Nothing."

"Then I didn't catch you staring at her dancing on stage?" Suzaku made to protest, but Marrybell added, "Multiple times."

Rather than embarrass him, however, the accusation only made a frustrated Suzaku bury his face in a hand. "It's not what you're thinking." And he did sound sincere in that. He let out a long sigh and then reached for his tea.

"I wouldn't be upset if you were interested. You'd make a fine brother, and Euphemia is gorgeous. Generous. Gregarious. Graceful. Gifted… Glowing."

That got a weak, strained chuckle out of Suzaku.

"Don't laugh." Marrybell lightly glared but let up as soon as Suzaku smiled. "I'd even shield you from Cornelia's and Lelouch's overprotectiveness. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know. It's really not what you're thinking, though."

Marrybell quirked an eyebrow.

"I'd prefer not to talk about it. Euphie and I are just friends."

"Ah." Marrybell drew the word out nice and long. "Got rejected?"

Now obviously annoyed, Suzaku delivered a firm, "No," but quickly changed his answer. "Well, yes. Unintentionally. But not by her. Just… Look, I don't want to talk about girls with you, alright? I know I'm going to put my foot in my mouth sooner or later."

Marrybell scoffed. One of these days Suzaku would get over such nonsensical worries.

"Why didn't you go with everyone else to Okinawa?" Suzaku asked. It was a crude means by which to change the subject but one Marrybell decided to allow.

"I have business in Tokyo that I can't put off." While Anne had never made explicit _when_ she intended to drop by with Clovis, she'd said it would be 'soon'. Moreover, Marrybell knew she'd refused an invitation to a beach party in the tropics. Even if she wanted to avoid one of Milly's parties or refused to celebrate the anniversary of Kallen's knighting, it was _a beach party in the tropics_. As such, Marrybell assumed that staying in town was the wiser course of action. "What about you? You didn't have to stay with me."

"I've never been a fan of beach episodes."

Marrybell snickered. "Let me guess. Can't swim?"

"I can swim just fine, thank you. I just didn't feel like going."

"Euphemia in a bikini," Marrybell sang.

"Enough!"

At the unexpected command, Marrybell immediately backed off. It seemed there really was something else going on here than the little infatuation she'd expected. Suzaku had never before reacted like that to her teasing. Had she unintentionally said something wrong? Had she missed some new trauma in his life or stepped on an old one? She didn't think so, but then random weird stuff could set her off on occasion as well.

After a moment to let the tension bleed out of the air, Marrybell apologised and said, "If you need someone to talk to…"

"No, I'm sorry too." Suzaku let out a heavy sigh. "Look, just – Euphie is a wonderful girl, and I'm sure she'd be an absolute pleasure for anyone to date, but let's leave it at that. Okay?"

"Alright." This would require further contemplation later. "It's just as well. There's something more important that I'd like to speak with you about." Marrybell had Suzaku's full attention. "Please don't interrupt. Just let me get through this. I don't intend this as a guilt trip, but I need to be honest with you before I reach the heart of the matter. I don't want you accusing me of anything months from now."

Although he hesitated a moment, gazing back at Marrybell with a worried eye, Suzaku nodded solemnly.

Marrybell breathed deeply. _Alright, here we go._ "Everyone important to me always leaves me. My mother. My sister. Oldrin. Clovis. Even you." She held up a hand when Suzaku looked about to protest. "You fully intended to leave me when we were children. Don't deny it. You convinced me to return to Britannia, and then I had to argue with you for hours to get you to come with. Even now… Suzaku, I hate your spy work. I loathe it entirely. Every time I offer to let you stay with me – safe, _together_ – and you refuse, it twists the knife deeper."

That drew a flinch from Suzaku. Marrybell noticed a slight tremble in his frame but didn't comment.

"Most of Code R has been dealt with by now. The important people, anyway. There's going to be a changing of the guard soon. It's a time for new beginnings. New policies. Lelouch has already set the stage for us. There will be chaos in the transition, certainly, but it will settle in a few months. Once it has, I would like to make a bold statement. And, if I'm being honest, to force your hand on your living situation. I would like to knight you."

A warped expression came over Suzaku's face, a mixture of far too many emotions to distinguish. "That…is a lot of responsibility." It wasn't the immediate response Marrybell had hoped for – she'd dropped enough hints to give him a long time to think about this – but it was about what she'd expected. "What about Oldrin?"

"This isn't about her. I'm not even sure if – no, nevermind." Marrybell had every intention of trying to seduce Oldrin and hoped not to scare her off. They would go from there once their feelings were out in the open. "Let's not evade the question. If you need time to think–"

Suzaku immediately quashed that notion. "I agreed years ago to go along with your plans. But if you're just inventing excuses to protect me–"

"I'm not." While Marrybell did want to keep Suzaku safe at her side, the politics of the situation were no less important. He scrutinised her, looking for any sign of falsity, before conceding.

"If you think this is a good idea, then…" Suzaku's breaths came heavier, and there was no hiding the pain in his eyes for all that he kept the rest of his face a stony mask. "There's something you should know. If we're to be honest, this could backfire on you spectacularly. I…" Unable to make the words come out, he fell into Japanese. He spoke more naturally, though more haltingly. "I did something. When we were kids – if it ever got out, my people would despise me. They _should_ despise me. All of them. I – I…"

A worried, "Suzaku?" escaped Marrybell's lips.

"I killed my father."

Marrybell sat in stunned silence. Of all the confessions Suzaku might have made, that one caught her completely off guard. When she recovered, she resisted the urge to laugh and congratulate him on a job well done. Genbu Kururugi had never endeared himself to her. Instead, she asked a simple, "To end the war?"

"I had to do it. Britannia was going to raze Japan to the ground. We lost."

 _This…explains a lot, actually._ Suzaku had known about his father's death soon enough to find Marrybell, the otherwise useless hostage, and help her escape the Kururugi Shrine before she could be framed for it. Her disappearance was why everyone had thought she'd died during the war, secretly murdered by the Japanese. The conflict had somehow found a way to escalate in the resulting firestorm – a disgraced, treasonous princess was still a princess – until the Japanese government finally capitulated in the chaos.

"You weren't wrong."

Suzaku's head snapped up to look at Marrybell.

"Your father _was_ going to get everyone killed. His policy of resisting to the last man, military or civilian, was a death sentence. Suicide in its own right. You saved millions, Suzaku."

In fact, had he surrendered earlier, Suzaku's father might have been able to preserve Japan with only some key economic and territorial concessions. The Second Pacific War _had_ started over resources and economics, after all; Marrybell's presence had led him to believe he could push Britannia _far_ past the pretext the emperor had needed to declare war. If anything, Suzaku had acted too late.

Marrybell doubted he would find comfort in that.

"I… Thank you." The words were whispered but no less sincere.

"This doesn't change anything, you know." If it ever became a problem, Marrybell would both take the blame and claim credit. Britannia would cheer her, and she was already a controversial figure amongst the Japanese. No harm done. "My request still stands."

A knock came at the door, but Marrybell paid it no mind. Suzaku looked at her as though she'd gone mad. He was going to object, she was sure. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He evaded. "Shouldn't you answer that?"

"If you need time, just say so. I can wait for your answer."

Suzaku shook his head. "No. I…I accept your offer."

"Brilliant!" Marrybell rose and leapt to hug Suzaku enthusiastically in gratitude and excitement. "I promise you won't regret this."

A second knock came at the door. This time Marrybell called for its source to enter, and Akane stepped inside. "You have a visitor, Marrybell-sama, one Ward Elizabeth. Shall I show her up?"

"No," Marrybell said a little too quickly. She forced herself to remain cheerful for the moment for Suzaku's sake. "I'll go meet her. I expect we'll be leaving for the night." She turned to Suzaku once Akane had departed. "I'm really sorry, but I need to go. It's time sensitive. We'll continue this when I get back, okay?"

Half a smirk formed on Suzaku's face. "You just asked me to be your knight of honour. Now you turn right around and leave me behind?"

"Yes, yes. You may see me out if you insist, oh valiant knight."

Suzaku declined the offer in favour of tea and comfort foods, which seemed the wiser course of action. He still looked shaken from his confession and in no fit state to face the magical branch of the OSI. Marrybell reassured him that he'd done the right thing one more time before departing to see to her guest.

Speaking of, Marrybell soon met Anne waiting for her in the vestibule. Her facade of good humour had fallen apart the moment she'd stepped out of the parlour. "You have the most impeccable sense of timing. I assume this is about Clovis?"

In answer, Anne asked, "Do you want to do this here, or shall we head to the car?"

"Anywhere but here." That would just be asking for trouble down the line.

A minute later, they pulled out of Marrybell's drive and departed for the settlement's outskirts. Clovis, apparently, held a position of honour, comfortably unconscious in the boot. She'd given it a good thump on her way by to her door. Anne sat at the wheel with a lime-haired girl who could only be C.C. in the passenger seat. As Marrybell had been warned, the latter was obviously not in the mood for conversation, not even managing a simple greeting.

Of course, that was just fine. Marrybell delivered a brief notification to C.C. that Lelouch and Kallen were looking for her and considered her duty to them done. With that out of the way, she could spend the rest of the trip contemplating what she was going to do and say to Clovis. She'd considered the matter before, but now she had to make a final decision. There were _so many_ options, though her favourites all depended on C.C. having the patience to wait a little longer for her revenge.

"A fitting night for treason, wouldn't you say?"

The night of the fourth of November with a storm rolling in fit the bill perfectly. Marrybell found it hard to decide if today's date was Anne's own sense of humour at work or a natural consequence of Lelouch and Kallen's penchant for symbolism offering up a relatively easy opportunity to abduct the viceroy.

"I hope tonight's has a better and more successful end for us," Marrybell replied. Although little more eager for conversation than C.C. at the moment, she didn't really want to test a probable sorceress's patience. "But yes, I do agree."

"I'm sure you know, but I need to check. You do understand we're about to kill your brother, right?"

Marrybell scowled with a quiet growl. "I would do it myself if I didn't feel C.C. has the greater claim. One less monster in the family."

"Well, you're not wrong." There was no disguising the hostility underlying Anne's voice. "If you're so enthusiastic, there's a much larger target I could aim you–"

C.C. interrupted to deliver a sharp, "No."

"Why not? She'd be perfect."

No answer came. C.C. just turned her head to the side and ignored the question as she watched the storm they'd driven into. Marrybell, however, was intrigued.

"A larger target, you said?"

Anne heaved a sigh. "Lelouch could have so easily been her," she mumbled to herself. Louder, she replied, "It's not the emperor, Marrybell. But nevermind for now. C.C. is very particular about her contractors. Sometimes to a fault."

"Contractors?" While Marrybell already knew C.C. could somehow grant geass, she had no idea how much Anne knew she knew.

"She can grant others a supernatural ability called geass. Power in exchange for a wish. You saw one of its many manifestations in the security footage Naoto showed you. Speaking of, given their relation, should I assume Kallen is aware of all this?"

"She knows everything I know. Or knew, rather. She did tell me about a strange encounter she had with an assassin in Russia."

Anne's head spun toward C.C. with an accusatory glare. Her eyes flicked away only as often as necessary to drive safely.

"What?" C.C. asked curtly. "You shipped me off with the kids less than a week after I escaped the bastard in the boot. I was exhausted. I still dealt with it."

 _Well that all but confirms their theory that C.C. is their magical bodyguard._

"Please tell me you at least offered them _some_ explanation."

"They knew enough."

 _And it seems C.C. either intends to keep Kallen's geass secret, wants me to think that, or Anne is too low on the totem pole to be privileged with the knowledge._ As Marrybell watched Anne argue with a brick wall, she tentatively ruled out any more complex information game. _Interesting._

Soon enough, Anne surrendered, and the car fell into a brooding silence until they neared their destination. She volunteered that they were headed for a rarely used OSI black site in the basement of a pizzeria. They pulled into the adjacent alley minutes later, a dark and narrow backstreet that weaved between offset buildings and easily hid anyone from a casual observer's view. Beneath the pouring rain, Anne hefted Clovis roughly out of the boot while C.C. unlocked the cellar door.

The stairs down had turned into a virtual water slide, flooding the landing in inches of water that slowly drained away. With the combined efforts of all three of them, they hauled the unconscious, gagged, bound, and now soaked viceroy down the steps into the musty corridor below. It opened into a series of four doors. The first held a modestly stocked lounge area. The second and third together were a soundproofed interrogation chamber with a one-way mirror between them. The last, opposite the third, led to a few holding cells.

Anne tossed Clovis into one of the cells with a wet splat without much concern for his physical well-being. She then led the other two into the lounge and peeled off her coat, gesturing to a closet with a small wardrobe of dry clothes. After they'd all changed, she grabbed a soda from the fridge and then collapsed into the fluffiest chair in the room.

"So," Anne began, "this is your chance to say goodbye. Beat him, curse him, hug him, whatever you want so long as you don't damage him too badly. How do you want to go about this?"

A difficult question, to be sure, but if she were given that level of leeway, Marrybell knew the most fitting answer.

* * *

Time passed in a sluggish blur. The air itself felt heavy, and the world refused to stop swaying beneath him. A low groan escaped Clovis's parched throat. After what felt like hours of stirring in and out of sleep, he finally awoke. The first thing he noticed was the wetness. He must have sweat through the night in some feverish state. Sickness certainly would explain how horrid he felt. He rose unsteadily from whatever awful mattress he'd spent the night on. He pressed a hand to his head to try to stop its swimming and opened his eyes.

To his credit, Clovis remained remarkably calm as he silently surveyed the area and assessed his situation. He sat within a poorly maintained cell of some sort, though the bars would stop him from escaping well enough. He was damp and cold, though bearably so. A single door left the room. There was enough light to see by, but no one would describe the room as well-lit.

And then Clovis's gaze landed upon the occupant of the neighbouring cell. He froze for only a moment before he rushed to the bars separating them. His eyes swept over Marrybell's wet, ragged dress, mussy hair, and still body before they stilled on the bruises covering her face.

"No, no, no. Not again. Marrybell, please wake up."

It seemed fortune had not entirely abandoned Clovis today. Marrybell muttered, "Fantastic. You're awake."

"Who did this to you?"

Marrybell raised her head an inch just to let it thump back onto the concrete floor. Her voice was weak but not lacking in contempt. "Kallen knows her."

Bemused, Clovis said, "Wha–" only for Marrybell to ignore and talk over him.

"So Lelouch knows her. He told me about her, so I reacted without surprise. Now she doesn't believe I wasn't involved, because the two of us, you and me, we're just _so close_." Marrybell cranked up the sarcasm on those last two words and rolled to turn her back to Clovis. The implied accusation left him shaking and shallow of breath. Through the tears in her dress, he saw the dark red of drying blood.

"I – Marrybell, I'm sorry. If I – no, whatever this situation is, I promise we'll get out of it." Clovis got no response, naturally. He'd not expected one. His sister was not the forgiving or optimistic type. "But please, I don't understand. Who did this?"

"Ask yourself," Marrybell snarled. "Who has the biggest grudge against you? I'm sure you can figure it out."

Horror struck Clovis. He knew at once who Marrybell meant. The fool terrorists had opened the capsule! Whatever massacre they'd tried to propagate had failed. Instead of poison gas, they'd released a woman – no, not a woman, but a creature of vengeance. A whisper of a name passed his lips.

Marrybell must have heard it. She rolled back toward him, and she didn't even try conceal the disappointment and betrayal on her face. "Code R. Why?" she demanded.

"It's…complicated. Sometimes interrogation–" Seeing the look in Marrybell's eye, Clovis swallowed his attempt to mitigate the weight and consequences of one of the hardest decisions of his life. She deserved more than that anyway now that she knew the basics. "Do you know what C.C. is?"

"An unageing, unkillable sorceress."

"True," Clovis allowed, "yet not. She's the world's greatest monster."

Marrybell scoffed and rolled away again.

"No! Please, you misunderstand me. It's not what she is but rather the choices she's made." From the way Marrybell shifted, Clovis knew he had her attention once more. "I admit I didn't get started on the right foot with her. General Bartley, who first discovered her, was…not the kindest host." With C.C. free and out for revenge, it was probably for the best he'd recently died fighting terrorists while attempting to recapture the glory days. "I tried to make it up to her. Believe me, I did. You know how I am with women. But it became clear she would never willingly cooperate. She would never answer any questions about her abilities. I have no doubt she considers them a curse."

"Is that it?" The fury was palpable in Marrybell's frigid voice as she dismissed Clovis's very existence. "Just another selfish prince after immortality."

Clovis breathed deeply and briefly curled his hands tightly about his thumbs to keep his hope from flagging. He would not lose his sister over this. However ashamed he felt, he knew he'd made the right decision. "Not just for me. For everyone. And I do mean _everyone_."

A moment passed in silence before Marrybell turned back around, confusion written on her face.

"C.C. doesn't need food or water. She's effectively immune to disease. A simple prick triggers her regeneration and returns her to her base state. It would change the world overnight. Three universal problems solved in an instant forever. All the money and resources we spend on healthcare and agriculture free to be redistributed. Imagine what the great minds could create without the limitations of their own mortality."

And there was always the possibility that lost loved ones might be revived. C.C. could regenerate from anything and everything. Code R had proven that. Why not, then, could the dead? That argument Clovis kept to himself. It hit too close to home for it to be effective. Marrybell could as easily concede to his point of view as explode in a fit of anger.

"But it's not just about that. It should be, but it's not. I'm even less proud of it, but at the time, I thought…" Clovis pursed his lips together, hesitant to continue. Marrybell insisted, however, and his sister needed to hear this. She needed _someone_ to tell her. "I don't know what deal you made with Lelouch – yes, I'm not blind to his schemes and ambitions, nor yours – but you will never ascend to the throne. You will never be empress. You _will_ get yourself killed trying."

Despite her scowl, Marrybell merely asked, "So what? Were you going to claim it with an invincible army?"

Clovis's voice slowly sank into a whisper. "No. I'm not a prodigy like you, or Lelouch, or Schneizel, or Father. Do you think I could? I have some small skill in managing politicians and playing them against each other, but this – _this_ was something I could do. The opportunity landed right in my lap. No politics. No plans. No battles. Just science. I thought if I could at least take away their most pressing problems, you'd not–"

That went a step too far. "Stop! Don't you dare put that on me."

"I'm not. I just – you wanted to know–"

"No, Clovis!" Marrybell snapped. "Keep it to yourself. I don't care how you intended to finish that. I don't care if you're telling the truth or just trying to win my sympathy. I have enough problems without you saddling me with that kind of guilt."

"I…" It did seem fair that Marrybell so wholly rejected the notion. Clovis had gotten them into this situation, after all. Resigned, he sighed and tried to make himself more comfortable in the inhospitable cell. If he at least had a ratty blanket, he could make a pillow. Unfortunately, he instead made do with leaning up against the freezing stone wall with only a couple layers of wet cloth between it and himself.

 _How long will it be before someone finds us? Lelouch, at least, should realise I'm missing by tomorrow. Or later today. Maybe he already knows?_ Clovis had no idea how long he'd been unconscious.

An eternity later, Marrybell broke the silence. "I would be the last person to tell you the ends don't justify the means. Sometimes you must commit evil to defeat a greater evil. There's necessary evils. Expedient evils. Expeditious evils. The trick of it is picking and choosing your evils wisely." She snorted dismissively and rolled away. "Father would be so proud. You're the second person to rip out my heart."

There were no words more apt to describe the ache in Clovis's own chest. "Marrybell–"

"I hate you."

Nothing Clovis said or did after that could get Marrybell to pay him the slightest bit of attention. She laid there in silence but for her uneven breathing as he tried in vain to apologise and explain. All of his pleas fell on deaf ears, but he persisted until he found himself spent and emotionally exhausted, his every effort proven futile.

Then lights turned fully on, and the creature of vengeance herself appeared at the cell door.

* * *

The broken screams were the worst part, Marrybell decided as she watched her brother suffer on the other side of the one-way mirror. He'd long since torn his voice box. Sometime soon, the muscle spasms racking his frame would catch up with the damage. It was, without a doubt, the second most horrific sight she had ever seen. The Code R experiments took the gold, of course.

Marrybell resolved to not let C.C. touch her if it could be at all avoided.

As silent as a ghost, Anne appeared at Marrybell's side. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine." Anne looked like she wanted to comment, but Marrybell denied her the opportunity. "What is she doing to him?"

"Memory dump. I'm sure you can guess which ones."

Marrybell nodded. _A fitting punishment._

"It's not an ability C.C. uses often, but she mentioned practising between her rescue and now. Not sure on who." Marrybell pitied the poor victim, although she expected C.C. had used more pleasant memories in her own experiments. "She's not normally like this, you should know. Code R wasn't nearly her first time undergoing torture, even torture beyond human limits, but–"

"But what Clovis subjected her to holds a special place in her heart." Marrybell understood perfectly. "I would do far worse myself if I could if I were in her shoes. I'm not judging."

Anne managed a wan smile as she gently pulled Marrybell toward the door by the arm. "Come on. Let's get you out of those wet clothes and somewhere warm. I'll help you remove all that makeup."

Although reluctant, Marrybell allowed herself to be led from the interrogation room back to the lounge. It took far less time to clean her up and change than it had to prepare her for her farewell to Clovis. When they finished, Anne handed her a glass of warm milk and a blanket. With her thanks, she gladly shifted to wrap the latter around her. She had to admit she felt both numb and cold.

Minutes or perhaps hours passed as Marrybell stared into her milk, watching the ripples in idle fascination. Occasionally, she sipped from it. At times she found herself contemplating her breathing more than anything. Her mind quietly slipped into a meditative state, shutting out both the world around her and her own thoughts.

A gentle nudge brought Marrybell around. Her eyes snapped open, she sat up straighter, and she noticed her milk had disappeared. "Huh?" Bemused, she glanced about in confusion.

"You nodded off for a bit there. Would you like me to take you home? It's late."

"No." Marrybell rubbed the rheum from her eyes, blinking rapidly to wake herself up. "Not until we're done."

"C.C. could be at this for some time."

That could mean anything from a few hours to the whole night to months, although the latter seemed unlikely. It was a risk to hold a missing viceroy and prince for so long. "I'll wait. How exactly are we explaining this to the public?"

Although she took some time to respond, Anne did answer the question with what Marrybell thought was the truth. "We have an agent who's not exactly happy with his boss or his line of work. He has the ability to, as he puts it, become anyone he chooses to be. I'm giving him the opportunity to fake his death with this mission and align himself with me."

Marrybell arched an eyebrow. "Power struggles in the cabal?"

"You have no idea," Anne lamented. Her frustration saturated her voice. "It's setting us back years."

Without a word, Marrybell tucked that information away for later. She assumed the agent's boss was the larger target Anne had mentioned before and refused to elaborate upon.

"Anyway, the plan is simple. Our agent is seen by dozens of witnesses boarding Clovis's private jet to Okinawa. He flies it out over the ocean and then brings it down. The eventual investigation will reach whatever conclusion it reaches. Meanwhile, we drown Clovis and then head for our agent's location with the body. We pick him up, drop your brother off, and then go home. As a bonus, the local government will likely want to keep this quiet until Clovis is found, so we won't disrupt Kallen's beach party."

Marrybell rolled her eyes. "Simple enough with magic, I suppose." Abducting the viceroy, usually a near impossible task, must have been trivial with Sayoko's ability to control others. The agent disguised as Clovis couldn't be seen through and was presumably well equipped for the remainder of his duty. The word 'cheating' came to mind.

"It does make some things much easier. Assassination especially. Others, less so." Anne placed a hand on Marrybell's. Her eyes held the obvious question in them with an accompanying offer of emotional support.

It was unnecessary.

* * *

 **Okinawa, Area 11  
** **November 5, 2016 a.t.b.**

A soft knock – one more for the sake of knocking than announcing its source – at the door roused Lelouch from his light slumber. Before he could respond to it, Kallen slipped silently inside wearing nothing but a nightdress and shut the door behind her. The brief flash of light from the corridor gave him a glimpse of her deathly pale face. This was certainly no romantic rendezvous.

Seeing no urgency in Kallen, he held aloft his bed's blankets in invitation. She immediately took it and, as before, slipped beneath them in silence. Saying nothing, she snuggled close for the comfort Lelouch willingly provided. Before too long, Kallen finally spoke.

"My geass wakes me up."

Well, that was mixed news. "Who's about to die?" Lelouch could guess.

"Clovis died."

 _Ah. Past tense._ That was not unexpected. They'd known Clovis's death was coming. But it was the first time Kallen had lost someone she truly considered family, if distantly, since obtaining her geass. That would explain the haunted look about her. "You know, I don't recall you ever explaining to me precisely how your geass works. Perhaps it would help to talk about it."

Kallen shook her head in silence. "I experience the death."

Lelouch's eyes widened in alarm.

"No, it's not – that's the simplest way to describe it but also not entirely accurate." Kallen paused, struggling for words. "I'm not there living in the moment. It's…muted. And there's no context. If you died from a gunshot but had a stab wound, I would feel both. If you fell to your death, I wouldn't know off what. Clovis… I don't…"

With his morbid curiosity risen, Lelouch asked, "What happened?"

"He…drowned." Kallen nodded as though to assure herself of that fact. "Yes, he drowned. I don't – I don't understand what else was done to him. I don't want to know. But I'm sure he drowned."

 _That's not ominous at all…_ What exactly did it take to make Kallen unable to articulate what had happened?

"There's more."

What more could there possibly be?

"It was a momentary thing. The possibility was there, and then he died a few seconds later."

Comprehension dawned on Lelouch before Kallen spelt it out.

"Someone is meddling with the timeline."

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace  
** **Government Borough, Area 11  
** **November 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

Although the government had kept Clovis's disappearance quiet, Empress Gabrielle la Britannia had dropped everything and arrived the very next day in the middle of the night. Despite the show of energy, the woman wore a haggard look about her like a cloak. Whispered worries heralded her approach and trailed in her wake, haunting reminders of the horrors that thrived during the Emblem of Blood. When his body was found, his death confirmed, she fell apart.

Today, the coroner had released his body to his mother. Tomorrow, it would be taken back to Pendragon. But today, it seemed, was also the day Gabrielle had worked up the strength to tell her daughter the news. They'd shed tears together, no doubt, but she obviously lacked the ability to provide much in the way of emotional support.

So it was that Marrybell found herself with a sobbing Laila la Britannia locked in a vice grip around her waist. The little blonde girl – the exact same shade as her mother and brother – wore her hair up in twin tails. She tended toward the cute end of the spectrum and was roughly Nunnally's age but with a more temperate and less mischievous disposition. Or so Marrybell remembered from before her exile. Their relationship had rapidly soured after the war.

"Thank you for agreeing to look after her," Gabrielle said. There was a weight to her voice beyond just grief and exhaustion. "I – there's so much to do, and I couldn't bear to leave her to anyone but family."

"It's no trouble. I understand how difficult and sudden this must be. Clovis… He meant a lot to me, too."

Gabrielle smiled, though it was a pale imitation of the real thing. "Yes, I was so proud of him for taking you in. When he was born, I couldn't imagine that ever happening. He was my little prince. But now…"

Marrybell could take a hint, and she'd had several. She glanced down before asking, "Relatively speaking, are you doing well?"

With Laila's face buried in Marrybell's chest, she missed Gabrielle shake her head no but reply, "As well as can be expected. I have my health, at least."

 _So she's ill. At her age and considering how stressed she is, that won't end well. And with Clovis gone…_ It took no stretch of the imagination the conclude that Gabrielle needed someone to protect Laila and shield her from the vultures both in and outside the family. _She must be absolutely petrified for her daughter's safety above all else if she's reaching out to me first. What can I offer her but protection?_

"I'm happy to hear that," Marrybell said. "Laila would be lost without you. I know I wouldn't have had any future at all if I'd had to struggle on my own."

This time Gabrielle's smile contained a hint of genuine warmth. "You're a bright young woman." Clearly, they were on the same page. "I trust you would have done well enough. Clovis always spoke very highly of you."

"Personally, I'd not trust the infamous flatterer of women even on matters concerning his sisters." Marrybell looked down at the girl still clinging to her. She owed Clovis nothing, but then this wasn't about him. Granting Laila her aegis would be the right thing to do, sort of. Her small part in Clovis's death might create _severe_ problems down the line. But it _would_ be useful to have another royal firmly on her side. She could twist Laila's grief into hatred and direct it at the emperor. It wouldn't even be a challenge.

However, upon reflection, that could backfire _spectacularly_ on her. Perhaps not, then. It left a bad taste in her mouth, anyway. That was the kind of manipulative, ruthless pragmatism dear old dad approved of. Besides, there were better ways, _lasting_ ways, to turn loyalties. And she had enough self-awareness to know she would need help with this. She could manage protective and some variety of nurturing, but right now Laila needed warm and cuddly, not cold and prickly. Fortunately, there was enough of that to go around.

Marrybell pried Laila off of her just enough to bend down and address her properly. "Euphemia and Nunnally still live in the area, as does Milly if you remember her. Lelouch and Kallen are around right now as well. Would you like to go see them with me?"

After a few seconds spent trying to pull herself together, Marrybell handed Laila a handkerchief to a nearly inaudible, "Thank you." She blew her nose. "I would."

"If that's alright with you," Marrybell added. She saw Gabrielle nod tentatively at first and then more firmly. "Then we'll watch over her as long as you need us to." To assure Gabrielle the diffused responsibility wouldn't leave Laila neglected, she claimed primary guardianship. "Call me if anything comes up."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **November 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

"I think you were too young to remember this," Euphemia began, "but Clovis used to come to Aries Villa almost every day to challenge Lelouch to chess."

Kallen snickered in the background. She'd been around for the very tail end of that.

"He lost every single game starting from when Lelouch was five."

Now Laila was laughing too. Lelouch had to admit to some embarrassment on his late brother's behalf. Clovis had been his first and most relentless opponent. On that note, he said, "If I recall correctly, I fool's mated him one of the earlier games."

Nunnally spoke next. "There was one time he tried to slide down the grand staircase's banister at Aries Villa and ended up plowing straight into a trio of distracted maids."

It came as some surprise that she remembered that. Although Nunnally's dare had instigated the incident, she'd barely been four at the time. _Those poor women._ They'd crossed each other's paths and stopped for a chat at the worst possible time and place.

"One had a box full of syrup, another a bag of ice, and the last had an old, torn feather pillow. It ended as well as you'd expect."

 _Good times. Good times._ Lelouch would miss Clovis despite what he'd done to earn execution via assassination. But the spectre lurking in the shadows, however pleasant a face she wore, probably felt otherwise – or perhaps hated that she did not. Lelouch dropped an unobtrusive signal to Kallen to keep their guest occupied and then quietly pulled Marrybell out into the corridor.

"Come on. Let's talk." As Marrybell proved agreeable, Lelouch led them out of the student council building onto campus. They would need privacy, preferably somewhere little princesses couldn't sneak up on them and eavesdrop – the clocktower, perhaps.

"You know, I always thought Laila hated me." Marrybell snorted. "Accused me of stealing her brother once or twice."

"And how old was she?"

"That's not the point." The answer all but confirmed Lelouch's expectations. "It's nice to be able to talk to her again without all the jealousy. Even if she did cry all over me."

"Ah, yes. Nothing brings family together quite like the gift of death."

There was too much truth in that to be amusing, but Marrybell paid it no mind. "Gabrielle asked me to look after her the way Clovis did for me. She's sick, apparently. Gabrielle, that is."

Lelouch had a strong opinion about that, but he said nothing for now and let Marrybell continue uninterrupted.

"I accepted. I hoped protecting her could be a family endeavour."

 _Ah. That's more reasonable._

"Between you, me, and Cornelia, it shouldn't be difficult to keep the emperor's eye off of her; she's too young and inexperienced to be of use." Marrybell qualified that statement with some muted muttering likely about her own past. "If Gabrielle has to pass on full custody to me, as far as I know, Euphemia isn't planning to leave Tokyo anytime soon. Nunnally could be her classmate whether she chooses to board at Ashford or commute from my home. Assuming she's okay with enrolling here, of course."

It appeared that Marrybell had finished her musings. "I personally have no objections," Lelouch said. He didn't know Laila well, but she'd never particularly offended his sensibilities as had so many of his other sisters. "You'd have to ask Euphemia and Cornelia how much of themselves they're willing to commit, but I don't expect they'll refuse. I assume you've considered that this is _Clovis's_ little sister."

"I'm well aware," Marrybell bit out. "I will do my best not to make a personal enemy of her."

Yes, that could become a very large problem in the future. Once the pair found the privacy they needed, Lelouch broached the matter at hand. "Kallen told me you were involved in Clovis's death."

"How–" Marrybell clicked her tongue. "Seers," she muttered. "Yes, I was complicit."

Needless to say, that was sufficient to meet Marrybell's criteria for revenge. Laila _could_ become a dangerous loose end. They would have to handle her very carefully as she grew until her loyalties fell one way or the other.

"Who else was involved?"

"What," Marrybell snapped, "did your oracle not divine all the sordid details for you?"

As his sister obviously had a story to tell, though he doubted he could coax it from her, Lelouch politely disregarded the sudden hostility. "No. Kallen doesn't pry without good reason. Clovis's death was alarming, but once she'd uncovered your involvement, she let the matter go."

The defensiveness visibly seeped from Marrybell's bearing. "That's fair," she said blandly. "Anne was there, as was C.C.. The latter did the deed, of course."

And so Lelouch had his prime suspect for who'd meddled with the timeline. But a more important matter had now been raised. "Did you ask C.C.–"

Marrybell cut Lelouch off. With a nonchalant air about her, she asked, "Did you know C.C. can force you to relive her memories with the slightest touch? Through clothes, even."

A shiver ran through Lelouch as he dropped his own question without protest. "I did not." Entirely unintentionally, Clovis had given the woman the ultimate self-defence technique. _Not that she considers it worth it, I'm sure._ "An odd secondary power to immortality."

"And the ability to grant geass," Marrybell added. "She's different than Kallen, Sayoko, and that assassin you two ran into."

Lelouch concurred with the point in the literal sense but not in essence. Kallen's geass had grown stronger over their time in Russia and might possibly continue to do so. If it did, what would it become? Was C.C. the end result of another geass's evolution? Even with the admittedly small sample size they had, memory tampering felt like her primary power. Would Kallen eventually become immortal, then? If so, why was the world not flooded with immortals? What was the limiting factor? Did geass place a strain on the body that typically caused premature death? Did most bearers just not have what it takes to fully develop it? Did immortals retain a maximum lifespan? If none of the above, then there must be some indirect cause. Perhaps geass simply made their bearers more inclined to risky behaviour.

"I told C.C. you two were looking for her and left it at that."

"Ah, thank you." For now, Lelouch pushed the questions aside. He'd not pulled Marrybell away from the group to speak of magic. "Did you find out what Clovis hoped to gain from his experiments?"

"He was just another prince after immortality and willing to do anything to get it."

"Clovis was hardly 'just another prince'."

A sharp and bitter, "Don't," promptly shut down Lelouch's attempt at counselling. Even so, he wanted to at least get his main point across even if he had to deliver it in abridged form.

"It's okay to love monsters, Marrybell." This wasn't something Lelouch liked to think about, much less speak of, but his sister needed a lifeline to keep from tearing herself apart. "I'm not blind to all of the horrible things my mother did for our father, but I love her anyway. I just returned from enslaving half a country, but Euphemia and Nunnally love me no less for it despite their disapproval. It's not a betrayal of your principles to still care."

Marrybell said nothing, opting instead to glare in silence. Lelouch just sighed. He'd tried. Perhaps later he'd send in the big guns: Euphemia.

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
** **Pendragon, Britannia  
** **November 20, 2016 a.t.b.**

The grand audience chamber, a colossal hall of such monumental proportion that one could easily build a golf course inside it. Indeed, the ninety-sixth emperor _had_. At its head played out all the imperial dignity due to the occasion. A sombre procession of black filed onto the great dais behind the throne as the imperial family and their personal guests gathered. For the first time since the months after the emperor's ascension to the throne, there was to be a state funeral.

Although the entire nation watched the ceremony from the far corners of the world, the present audience itself sprawled out from the dais to the very end of the hall. Three great columns, each at least a two hundred guests wide, stretched almost as far as the eye could see. The total number easily cleared a hundred thousand at least. Most were nobility come to pay homage and affirm their loyalty to the crown. Whispered rumours spoke of the suspected involvement of _domestic_ sabotage in Clovis's death, after all.

A wall of white roses rose up behind the imperial family atop the dais. Above them hung a portrait of the late Clovis la Britannia, enlarged so that even those at the far end of the hall might see it. However little comfort it might be to the dead, the entire affair proved a magnificent spectacle of mourning. Clovis would have appreciated the effort.

"Announcing His Imperial Majesty!"

A live performance of the national anthem began as the emperor strode solemnly out into the hall. The entire audience rose with an arm placed across each chest and a fist centred above the heart. The music ceased with perfect timing just as the emperor reached the podium placed before his throne.

"All men are not created equal!" The emperor's deep voice boomed out across the hall, the echo lending it an extra level of weight and power. Even his worst enemies must admit he struck an imposing figure.

Kallen silently clicked her tongue. _Of course._ Beside her, she noticed Nunnally wilt as the emperor began his speech. Glad that Lelouch had possessed the foresight to seat his sister between them, she grasped Nunnally's hand almost at the same time he reached out for the other. This was no time to show weakness. Even Empress Gabrielle sitting in the front row with Laila knew that, though where the broken woman found the strength remained a mystery.

"Some are born swifter of foot, some with greater beauty. Some are born into poverty, and others are born sick and feeble. Both in birth and in upbringing, in sheer scope of ability, every human is inherently different! Yes, that is why people discriminate against one another, which is why there is struggle, competition, and the unfaltering march of progress! Inequality is not wrong, equality is!

"What of the EU who made equality a right? Rabble politics by a popularity contest. The Chinese Federation with its equal distribution of wealth? A nation of lazy dullards. But not our beloved Britannia. We fight. We compete. Evolution is continuous! Britannia alone moves forward, advancing steadily into the future.

"Even the death of my son Clovis demonstrates Britannia's unswerving commitment to progress! We will fight on; we shall struggle, compete, plunder, and dominate; and in the end the future shall be ours! All Hail Britannia!"

The crowd took up the chant, some earnestly, some not to stand out. The worst part was that the emperor wasn't exactly wrong. People might possess more similarities than not, but they _were_ different, and those differences were important. For good or for ill, they made everyone unique. Moreover, Britannia _worked_. No one could deny that.

But it could work better. One day it would.

* * *

 _What a farce._ For perhaps the first time, Lelouch was glad his mother's death had passed without proper acknowledgement. Cornelia had seen to the funerary arrangements with all the dignity due to a venerated empress. Really, she could have been carelessly tossed into a pyre and left to rot; anything was better than the treatment Clovis had received from the emperor.

Lelouch would later admit that this was probably part of his brother's sentence. Whatever passing favour Clovis had once accrued with the emperor lay buried beneath the ruins of the Code R site. The opportunity to humiliate him posthumously was likely the only reason a state funeral had even been held.

With a whisper in Nunnally's ear, Lelouch suggested that she might want to request a private word with Laila. Somewhere quiet and out of the way. Nunnally understood at once and went to whisk their sister off to safety away from the vultures poking and prodding for weakness around a tiring empress and her daughter. A few seconds after the two girls had departed, Gabrielle's weary eyes found Lelouch's and offered him a thankful nod. He returned it with a respectful bow from across the room. That she'd not yet fallen to pieces or lashed out after how her son had been treated today surprised and impressed him, especially after witnessing how inconsolable she'd been back in Japan.

"Your Highness, Prince Lelouch." The messenger who'd spoken waited to be acknowledged. "His Majesty requests your presence in the council chamber behind the throne room."

" _Now_?" Even for the emperor, that represented an extraordinary lack of tact.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lelouch let out a heavy, seething breath through closed lips but assured the messenger that he would be there shortly. As soon as the man had scurried away under his glare to see to other business, Kallen wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind.

"Keep calm, mon chéri."

Ingrained habits took hold for a moment, a layer of dissociation between reality and the familiar mask of the besotted lover, just as Kallen surely knew they would. A long sigh escaped Lelouch as he gained some distance from his anger. "A useful technique, Milady, but perhaps a habit best broken."

"You're going to make me train you all over again?" Kallen tittered at Lelouch's scoff. "His negligence may have facilitated Marianne's murder, but it was still _just_ negligence toward a woman perfectly capable of defending herself. Remember that and you'll get through this."

With a final promise to behave, Lelouch departed. He ignored the hateful stares sent his way and whispers of how 'it should have been him' as he moved through the crowd with a peculiar sense of relief at the familiarity. He'd been beginning to forget what that felt like. It was so good to have the whole family together for once.

Nobles from afar and locals of all flavours flooded the palace corridors, but Lelouch made good time. His destination was near, and the crowds parted to let him pass. Unlike the royals, many of them showed him genuine respect. Not all, of course. Not nearly. And mostly the commoners, but it was enough for now.

Lelouch soon found the emperor awaiting him alone. The man stood at the head of the long council table with a thick book in hand, seemingly oblivious to his arrival.

"You summoned me, Your Majesty?"

"Sit." The emperor gestured to the chair beside him where Schneizel would usually be seated. Lelouch wondered if there was some deeper meaning behind the command but didn't ask. As the emperor took his seat, he snapped his book – a physical record of Area Eleven's finances, judging by the label – closed and tossed it onto the table. "There are several matters we must speak of, the most pressing of which is Clovis's replacement."

Lelouch hesitated a moment as he considered the best way to subtly indicate his disinterest in the position. "I'm surprised you would discuss that with me instead of your prime minister."

"Hmph. You have none of your mother's gift for directness."

Lelouch's eye twitched. "Very well. I do not desire the viceroyalty."

"Good. I have more important tasks for you in the coming years than unravelling this tangled mess." The emperor gestured to the ledger on the table. "I am, however, aware you know a great deal about the current state of the colony. I would have your advice on who to name as viceroy. Area Eleven is too important to the empire to entrust to the wrong hands."

 _Well, this is different._ "If you want my honest opinion, Marrybell has spent the past six years being stonewalled in her attempt to clean up the area."

"And if I appointed her, she would be one step closer to killing me and you two steps closer to the throne."

 _…very different._

"But the idea has some merit. She _is_ capable and motivated." The emperor sank into thought for some time. "Yes, I know how to make use of her. The next matter is that of your marriage."

Lelouch clenched his fists beneath the table. Very carefully, he said, "To Countess Stadtfeld if she's agreeable, I trust?"

"I suggest you not dawdle if you wish to enjoy the pleasures of a good woman. The tasks I set you will not wait for your personal life."

"I…understand." Was that really what Lelouch thought it was? However abridged, had he just experienced a father–son talk about women? Something somewhere had broken in the world and urgently needed fixing.

"Lastly, there is the matter of geass and your mother's murder."

Direct was certainly an apt word to describe that. _Marrybell did mention Anne knows we know, hence the emperor must as well._ "I did deduce that the two were linked," Lelouch hazarded, uncertain of where this conversation was headed.

"Indeed," the emperor rumbled. He scowled, though not at Lelouch. "Marianne never wanted you involved, but the situation has changed. I suggest you acquire a geass of your own if you intend to continue your investigation."

Perhaps, Lelouch dared to consider, there were some things he could see eye to eye on with his father. In an oblique sort of way. To not overplay his hand, he asked, "And how would I do that?"

"If you don't already know, you should reconsider who you trust."

 _A bluff? No._ The emperor had no reason to resort to such tactics, and such deceptions were not his style. _Then did Anne tell Marrybell, or does he know Kallen has a geass?_

Regardless, the emperor dismissed Lelouch. That was all the time he had to spare for this particular son, it seemed.

* * *

It was a poor way to distract herself from fretting over Lelouch, but Kallen had to admit to a certain amount of amusement. Without Nonette, they couldn't play their usual game, but bankrupting Cornelia proved an interesting alternative. Without looking at her hand, she removed three cards and replaced them with three Cornelia dealt her from the deck.

Euphie folded as Kallen knew she would.

Cornelia, however, was too stubborn. When Kallen threw another thousand pounds into the pot, she saw the bet.

Grinning, Kallen said, "Two pair, aces and tens" and flipped over her cards. She'd been dealt three of a kind but had deliberately ruined her hand for the fun of it. Seeing that and understanding what had happened, Cornelia scowled and tossed her own pairs of aces and nines onto the table.

"And the rich get richer." Kallen chuckled as she pulled her winnings toward her. Not prepared for it, Cornelia caught her completely by surprise with a pair of gloves to the face.

"Blindfold yourself."

Euphemia sighed and probably went unnoticed as she said, "Sister, just admit magic is real already…"

Nonetheless, Kallen did as demanded and tied Cornelia's gloves together. She wrapped them around her eyes and secured them in place with a loose knot behind her head. "Satisfied?"

"For now."

As soon as Cornelia dealt the next hand – she didn't trust either of her opponents to shuffle or deal at the moment, which was fair – Kallen immediately said, "I fold." While there was more to poker than the cards, it was simplicity itself to check the thirty-two possible discards she could make against her opponents' final hands. She would lose this round unless she could get Cornelia and Euphie to fold, but both of their hands would be too good to bluff into submission this time.

Cornelia grumbled through the hand and, distracted, lost to Euphie.

The next two rounds Kallen won easily.

"If you'd just concede that I'm a seeress, I'd stop cheating."

An indistinct mutter emanated from Cornelia's general direction.

"If you're feeling tired, I can just hold your purse for you. You don't have to–"

"Fine!" Cornelia erupted. "I admit it!" She reached across the table and retrieved her gloves none too gently. "Magic." She shook her head disapprovingly. "You believe Marianne also had a…geass, was it?"

"We do. We're not sure what it did, though, only that it likely had use in espionage and assassination."

"That makes sense," Cornelia mused. A few moments passed with a reflective look on her face. "And Father?"

Nodding, Kallen replied, "Probably, but for all we know it allows him to teleport to the moon."

"Somehow I think not." Euphie had since shuffled the deck, dealt, and now hid her smile behind her hand.

The game continued as a more subdued affair while Cornelia properly absorbed everything now that she actually believed. As promised, Kallen ceased use of her geass, thus evening the playing field. Cornelia had managed to win back some of her wallet when the door to their room opened and Lelouch walked in deep in thought with Jeremiah on his heels.

"Poker at a funeral?" the latter commented.

"I refuse to acknowledge what happened today as a funeral." Surprisingly, it was Euphie who spoke with such steel in her voice, but she echoed the sentiments of everyone in the room.

"Agreed," Kallen said. "Lelouch, what did the emperor want?"

Lelouch hesitated a moment at the simple question, never a good sign. No one present was untrustworthy in the least. "He wanted my input on who to name as Clovis's replacement." How typical. Before anyone could comment, he added, "He also suggested I obtain a geass if I intend to continue investigating Mum's murder."

Silence swept through the room.

"He knows who did it?" Cornelia hissed. Her voice had a dangerous quiet to it, the kind of cold rage that promised a sword through the chest.

"He obviously knows more than he's telling, but I'm unsure if he knows the actual culprit or merely has suspects."

"The latter, I believe." Euphie gathered the discarded cards into a pile with eyes downcast. "Considering what he ordered done to Clovis."

Lelouch admitted that was possible, but he added, "Don't forget there's a cabal of sorcerers only nominally under the control of the crown."

"I still find that hard to believe," Cornelia said.

"It's the most likely hypothesis in view of the evidence we have."

"But how has no one noticed?"

With a shrug, Lelouch replied, "More magic? Subtlety? Perhaps magical interference in politics is so commonplace we don't find it's influence strange because we see nothing out of the ordinary."

That last argument, however unlikely, had a haunting, frightful quality to it which preyed at the mind. Such was the seed of nightmares and paranoia.

"Regardless, at least some of the cabal considered Mum their enemy; she did place C.C. to guard us against them, and they've made _at least_ one attempt already. There's our primary suspects, whoever they are. Then given what Kallen alone can do" – Lelouch gestured in her direction – "it's not impossible that a known culprit is beyond the emperor's reach."

A contradiction lay in wait. "But not yours?" Kallen asked sceptically. If Lelouch was right and the emperor had all but given his blessing to pursue the matter, it implied he thought Lelouch could succeed where he and all his power could not.

"Perhaps," Cornelia said thoughtfully. "Neither of you have been very subtle in your distaste for Father's policies."

From the corner of her eye, Kallen noticed Lelouch flinch slightly. She took it to mean that the emperor had remarked upon that himself in some manner. It would be amusing if it were any less dangerous.

Cornelia continued, "Lelouch is an independent agent. Even as that closes some doors, it opens others."

"Quite." Lelouch pulled up a chair to the table and sat heavily. "Deal me in. I have very mixed feelings about being an instrument of the emperor's revenge which I wish to put from my mind."

Euphie began shuffling with a small smile. She looked to Jeremiah and asked, "Will you join us?"

A rather conspicuous eye fell upon the very large piles of banknotes littering the table.

"Perhaps a maximum bet," Euphie suggested as she dealt.

The group quickly agreed, and they returned to their game.

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
** **Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
** **December 7, 2016 a.t.b.**

The last few weeks had been so full of emotional whiplash; Kallen felt she deserved a pat on the back for keeping herself together. Granted, she'd not been as close to Clovis as some members of her patchwork little family, but it was still hard. She'd gone straight from her celebratory return, to mourning Clovis, to her knighting anniversary, to pretending nothing had happened at Lelouch's victory ball, to a live state 'funeral', and then most recently to the birthday party Milly insisted on for Lelouch to take everyone's mind off of heavier matters.

Exhausted, Kallen fell into her seat in the conservatory alone but for the plants. Having seen off the last of the guests just this morning – or at least all those without permanent rooms at the Villa – she finally had time to wind down, relax, and maybe even enjoy a little kip. In a few days, she'd need to head to New York for the ceremonial acceptance of her peerage. She'd skipped out on that to go to war. And speaking of, she'd delegated, of course, but she no doubt had a lot of work backed up on that front as well. Decisions to make. Problems that needed seeing to. Issues that needed fixes before they became problems. But for now, at long last for a few precious days, her time was entirely her own to spend as she wished.

The remainder of the morning passed in peace, warmth, and short, sporadic sleep. Drifting in and out of blissful unconsciousness, Kallen breathed deep of the familiar scents of the villa. It was so good to be home.

A little before noon, as Kallen was browsing through and answering her mail, a new message arrived from Anne. Opening it, she read, 'Hey, I'm finally back in Pendragon! If you're free, you could finally give me your recruitment pitch. Over lunch, maybe?'

Kallen, for a brief moment, contemplated getting up. Her legs screamed no more at her, and the rest of her body went slack in protest. _Well, I'm not in pyjamas, I guess._ Lazily, she sent back, 'Feel free to stop by Aries Villa. Nothing formal, please,' followed by directions and what little information Anne would need to get through security.

Once Kallen got a positive response, she sent another message to Jeremiah to arrange for Anne's arrival. A third went to the kitchens informing the staff she intended to eat lunch in the conservatory with a guest. After that, she finished reading through the rest of her mail and drifted off back to sleep.

* * *

"Lady Stadtfeld."

As she stirred, Kallen made an odd mumbling noise that she supposed sounded enquiring enough to prompt the maid who'd awoken her to continue.

"Your guest has arrived. Shall I ask her to wait until you're ready to receive her?"

"N–" A yawn interrupted Kallen as she stretched in place. "No, just send her in. Thank you."

As the maid left, Kallen hurriedly patted her hair down and straightened her clothes. That would do well enough. After a moment's thought, however, she redid her hair to allow some of her fringe to dangle tastefully over her left eye down her face. Now ready, she awaited her guest. Anne walked in a minute later wearing a simple earthen dress with an odd energy about her and a skip to her step. She waved as she approached, her smile dazzling.

"Well, someone looks happy. Did something good happen?"

"No, no. I've just been away from Pendragon for so long. It's so good to be home after a long, _long_ mission."

"Yes, I know that feeling. I only wish I'd not missed the majority of the orchard's entire harvest season. I fear I've become spoilt growing up here on freshly picked fruit." There were a few fruit trees in the conservatory but sadly not nearly enough to last the entire winter. "Ah, well. I'm sorry I haven't had time for more than a quick 'hi, bye' until now. I would say you chose a very inopportune time to assassinate Clovis, but I can only assume our return brought an eager C.C. with us."

"Ah… No hard feelings about that, I hope."

As she had with Marrybell, Kallen shoved aside the feeling of loss. "I can't speak for any of his siblings, but no, I don't blame the executioner. I'll miss him, but he earned at least a life sentence in any reasonable society."

Anne smiled again, if more cautiously than before. She took a step closer and subtly to her right. "You and Marrybell keep each other well informed. She mentioned you had a run in with C.C. in Russia. Something C.C. neglected to tell me." Though her eyes met Kallen's, they shifted ever so slightly to try and better see the veiled one.

 _Gotcha._ Kallen tilted her head to reveal her eye. Anne stiffened just long enough to be noticed. "You could just ask."

"I…" Anne visibly deflated with a resigned sigh – or perhaps a defeated one. "Do you mind if we sit?"

"Please do. I have _many_ questions."

Anne took the invitation and sat heavily. While she collected herself, Kallen went to retrieve a pair of apples from a nearby tree until lunch arrived. After washing them off in the conservatory's fountain, she lobbed one to Anne. The assassin caught it easily, barely making an effort, and wound up fiddling with it in both of her hands. Kallen shrugged and bit into her own with a refreshing, juicy crunch.

"So," Kallen began, "Euphie, Lelouch, Nunnally, Milly, and I all don't remember seeing you around, but this isn't your first time at Aries Villa, is it?"

Anne visibly gulped. "No."

"We thought not. Now comes the hard part." As much as Kallen would like to use her geass to short circuit this entire process, she didn't know what power Anne had and wouldn't risk it yet. "I _know_ you're a skilled spy and hence actress. You obviously have an interest in our family. The question now is are you unintentionally lowering your guard around us, are you dropping hints you're not permitted to say directly, or are you a mole?"

Anne looked like she wanted to say something very badly but bit her tongue. "Is there any point to me answering that?"

"No, but you can answer this." The only people that should _know_ the answer were those close to the family. Anyone guessing would probably pick something more dignified first. She glanced at the exact time displayed on her phone. "How did Marianne address me in private?"

Although stricken at the question, Anne correctly replied, "P-Poppet."

Kallen glanced at her phone again. Only the expected two seconds had passed. Satisfied on that front, she openly projected her intention to kill Anne. She pushed into the thought all the pain of the worst death she'd experienced indirectly through her magic. Her geass reacted immediately to Anne – a curiosity in and off itself – rather than her more roundabout confirmation kill. Her guest didn't so much as flinch.

 _Well, while that doesn't_ completely _rule out mind reading and other powers that allow information gathering, I'll go with the higher probability hypothesis and assume she actually knew the answer._ For now, at least, Kallen would extend Anne her trust. If nothing else, her geass thought she considered the woman her friend. "So how did you come to know Marianne? You're not a long lost sister or something, right?"

Anne blinked, bemused. Apparently, she'd not expected that question. It made a girl wonder what she'd been so dreading to share, but that would keep until another time. "Oh. No. She assigned me to assist C.C. in protecting her family. I've wanted to step out of the shadows for years, but, well, you were never supposed to get mixed up with geass. Marianne was very clear when she said she wanted you kept in the dark." A distinctly resigned look settled onto Anne's face. "Too late for that now."

"Fair enough." And reassuring since Anne's story matched the emperor's. "Are you ageless like C.C., then?"

"I'm not."

"No?" As far as Kallen knew, Marianne didn't put children into dangerous situations. Seven years ago, Anne surely must have been an adult, then, but her appearance belied her age. "How old are you?"

"Still older than you."

In all fairness, Kallen hadn't expected any other answer. "What exactly does your geass do then?" Anne must have one since she'd been looking for Kallen's; only the magical could see magic.

"I don't think I'm emotionally ready to share that with you."

It was a valiant attempt at a coquettish nonanswer but not enough to disguise that Anne meant every word she said. Kallen could easily think of several troublesome or overly intimate powers, but none particularly explained her unusually young appearance.

 _Unless she can_ alter _her appearance…_ For all Kallen knew, Anne could be biologically male or even an alien. They lived in a world of magic. Why not nonhuman sentients as well? _That would certainly be a secret worth concealing._ She snorted, both amused and dismissive. She gave far more credence to the boy theory.

Lunch arrived before Kallen could press for a real answer or at least a hint. By the time the servants were on their way again, dismissed early to continue the conversation in private, she decided to drop the matter for now. Secrets or no, Anne had enough personal investment in her charges to be considered an asset rather than a threat.

"You've already lost control of your geass, haven't you?"

Kallen paused with a spoon of soup halfway to her mouth as she considered the question. "That's normal, then?"

"It's a symptom of overuse. The more you use your geass, the stronger it grows. Too much too soon, and you lose control."

Since it'd been nearly half a year hence, Kallen presumed she would be fine. Still, she asked, "Will that cause me any problems?"

"Well…you're not babbling nonsense or spouting random prophecies, so I would assume not."

Kallen chuckled. "I really wasn't very subtle, was I?"

"No, Oracle, you were not. But no matter. You're already enough of a legend that you're permitted to do the impossible without explanation. Even I didn't suspect until I heard C.C. made contact with you."

"Did C.C. not tell you?" Marrybell had mentioned C.C.'s proclivity for secrecy.

"No." Anne poked at her soup as she searched for the right words. "C.C. has a…difficult sense of loyalty to her contractors. She'll keep your secrets, but anything more… Well, it's usually best just to bribe her with pizza of all things if you want her to do something specific."

Although Kallen laughed, the claim niggled at some memory in the back of her mind. _Why does that sound so familiar?_ And then it hit her. She'd already done just that. A groan escaped her. "I am so stupid. I already owe her a giant pizza."

Anne snickered. "What for?"

"What I now suspect is a firsthand account of the Hundred Years' War's finale."

The snickering turned into a cackle.

"I didn't know she was immortal yet!"

That wasn't enough.

"She was a polyglot! I assumed she picked the languages up doing something useful like learning history."

And then came the killing blow. "What name did she go by?"

"Cecile Carr…"

"Face it, Kallen. There's no way to defend yourself here."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and refused to agree aloud, but Kallen _had_ already admitted she'd been completely blind. There really wasn't anything more to be said. "Would you tell C.C. that Lelouch and I would like to speak with her? I know Marrybell said she did already, but considering what else happened that night, a reminder might be necessary."

"I…suppose." There was no small amount of hesitation in that reply. Although Kallen and Lelouch knew about magic, Anne _would_ be directly disobeying Marianne's last order to keep them away from geass. That had to feel uncomfortable.

As such, Kallen simply said, "Thank you," and left it at that. On the topic, however, there was a question she wanted answered. "By the way, were you the one meddling with the timeline that night?" She suspected C.C. more as Clovis's executioner, but it didn't hurt to ask.

Anne shook her head and adopted a contemplative look. "You must be thinking of C.C.. Geass don't work on her, so she's probably a walking, talking disruption to the timeline."

"Huh." That made sense of why C.C. had seemed unaffected by that illusionist assassin, but there was one point of clarification to be made. "All geass or just ones she grants?"

"All."

Having lived with Lelouch for years, Kallen spotted a critical failing of her particular wording. "She's not the only person who can grant geass, is she?"

Anne chuckled. "No, no. How to explain…" She tilted her gaze up and idly tapped her spoon against her bowl. "All humans are connected in a way. It's nothing physical, nothing you could observe in a lab." She paused a moment, reconsidering. "Well, no, that's not entirely true, I suspect, but I digress. Geass use this connection to tamper with the minds of others. To see things that aren't there. To gather information. To supplant wills. To know what is yet to come.

"C.C. is different. Her connection is…broken, you might say. She exists independently, apart, yet able to brush against and manipulate those connections. Some of the things she can do with them are fascinating; she managed to create a permanent telepathic link with Marianne."

That sounded incredibly useful. But while interesting, pumping Anne for information about magic was only half the reason Kallen had invited her to the villa. "You're being surprisingly helpful. Do I actually need to recruit you?"

A long hum came in answer as Anne considered the question. "Yes and no. I have my own plans in the works which have zero intersection with yours, I'm sure. I have no reason not to help you, but please do convince me to distract myself from my own designs. I love a good seduction."

"A seduction, eh? I usually sic Lelouch on people for that. He has a way with words I never will. Besides, where is the temptation to resist? The moral struggle? The ultimate descent into darkness?"

"Can a heroine not tempt a villain _from_ the darkness?"

"True. True." Kallen managed a serious expression and held back her smile at the silliness of the conversation. "Let me tell you about the true power of friendship and love."

"Do recall that I'm happily married," Anne replied. "No need to proselytise on love and friendship. I stand firm and untainted. I have no weakness, Heroine, no chink in my armour."

Kallen chuckled, a mocking and sinister affair. "Everyone has a weakness to exploit. I merely have to uncover it." She paused dramatically. "I do recall you mentioned losing faith in your own plans to…magic the world better, was it?"

"Never!"

"Oh, but you have. I can sense it. Why not tell me what troubles you so?"

This time Anne hesitated. Rather more seriously, she replied, "Not the plan itself but the ability of those involved to work together."

"So you _do_ need a friendship speech!"

Anne laughed, disjointedly protesting that she'd done nothing wrong and not started it.

Setting aside the game they'd played, Kallen offered up a simple, "Infighting is the worst."

"I'll drink to that." Anne held up her glass as she recovered, and Kallen did the same. They brought them together, quaffed half of each, and shared another laugh over shared troubles.

"Speaking of," Kallen began, "do you know who killed Marianne?"

"No, I don't. I'm sorry."

Kallen turned the question and answer over in her mind for a few moments, scrutinising them for the tiniest flaw in their wording. But both short and straightforward, she didn't see any way for Anne to have mislead her without outright lying, and the woman did look and sound sincere in her reply.

There was, however, something Naoto had mentioned, something Sayoko had told him to convince him to help her. "Marianne had an enemy. A magical enemy. One whose grudge against her seems to have transcended her death."

Anne shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She clearly knew of whom Kallen spoke. "It's…complicated," she eventually admitted. "You and Lelouch are nowhere near ready to challenge that – _him_." There was acid in that tone and stronger language buried beneath it. "But he is, in most ways, defanged for now. Pay him no mind."

"How reassuring," Kallen replied dryly. It could be worse, she supposed. She had her geass, and apparently Marianne had left a protection service in place for them.

"No matter. Now as much fun as it is seducing you with laughter, let's be serious for a moment. My plan" – it was more Lelouch's plan, to be fair; she offered critiques, but he masterminded the implementation – "when I brought it to Lelouch as a child, was rather simplistic. We were brilliant children, and the emperor was growing old. The timing fit perfectly. When his father finally died or functionally retired, he'd be young, of age, and exceedingly capable. If I could put him on the throne for sixty years, we could reform our empire and leave it to a generation that barely remembered the way things once were."

Anne pointed her spoon at Kallen in accusation. "You stole that plan from Alwin the First. Plagiarist."

"Plagiarist!" In the jesting spirit with which the charge had been brought against her, Kallen replied, "One, I highly doubt he considered that his plan instead of something that just sort of happened. Two, my Britannian history was terrible at that age. Three, Augustus would be a better fit for the pattern. Four, we're _meant_ to learn from history." She huffed and then muttered, "Plagiarism, she says."

"Fine, fine. I exonerate you of all wrongdoing." It sounded like _such_ a favour Anne was doing Kallen. "At any rate, what reforms were you thinking of?"

"We have _a list_. It spans all the way from marriage law to the abolition of the number system."

As expected of someone who'd needed to 'prove she wasn't a Six', Anne's attention immediately zeroed in on the latter. "That's impossible."

Kallen smirked and replied, "Someone told me I'm permitted to do the impossible."

"That's not–" Anne pinched the bridge of her nose and admitted defeat. "Fine. I can _conceive_ of a Britannia without the number system, but there's so many problems. Britannia's economy, its infrastructure, its beliefs, its government, practically everything is built around its colonial system. You'd tear the empire apart."

That would likely be the case if they tried to change everything all at once and right away. Kallen could easily imagine Lelouch sending her out to put down uprisings even with their more careful plans. Removing the number system was no small task, though ultimately a necessary one to stabilise the empire in the long run.

"I don't disagree about our colonial system," Kallen said. "It's obviously not something that can be altered with the stroke of a pen, and trying to change it bottom-up would take forever. Even if that worked, we'd likely fall victim to the same problems that plague the EU's empires."

"But…"

"But just because something is hard doesn't mean it's not worth doing. Britannia could be so much more than it is. The number system _has_ to go."

Anne shook her head. "You are so sheltered behind these walls."

"So what?" Kallen had no reason or cause to deny the accusation. "I don't need to be part of the problem to fix it."

"No, but you don't understand how deep the bias against numbers runs. How ingrained it is."

That held a grain of truth, but only just. "No? Do you think I never saw how people treated Lelouch and Marianne for the circumstances of _their_ birth? Do you think I still don't?"

"Obviously, and you saw how that worked out, didn't you?"

Kallen's eyebrows narrowed. That hit too close to home. "All the more motivation to change things."

"Marianne was _one person_. You saw the hostility directed at her for rising above her station. You want to so elevate _millions. Billions_!"

"I never said it would be easy."

Anne's hands braced herself against the table, and she grit her teeth. "It's beyond just difficult. This is the kind of thing wars are fought over."

"We fight wars all the time."

"Not civil wars!"

"Would you rather servile wars? Let the numbers wear us down until we die to a thousand cuts?"

For what little good it did, Anne took a moment to try to calm herself, but to no avail. As she continued, her breathing grew more ragged as she spoke.

"Kallen, I lived in the thick of the Emblem of Blood. I watched the imperial family tear itself apart. I stood beside Charles as he massacred his way to the throne. It was – there was so much – my childhood was _bad_ , but this was _worse_. A nightmare that'd escaped into reality. Nowhere was safe. No one was safe. I – we can't go back to that ever again. Ever. Especially not with it enveloping the entire empire! People are rotten enough without giving them all the excuses in the world to hurt each other. You can't – I – I can't."

Taken aback by how strongly she felt about this, Kallen gave Anne all the time she needed to compose herself. The almost wild look of a woman ready to lash out at anything she perceived as a threat faded in time. The shallow, heavy breaths slowed. Eventually, the woman slumped onto the table, propped up by her elbows. She fell silent, trying to fight back tears judging by the rapid blinking.

Softly, Kallen said, "You've been holding that in a long time, haven't you?" Working for the OSI, probably directly under the emperor, didn't allow one much time for such moments of weakness.

"I'm sorry. I…" Anne found herself lost for words and instead chose to dispassionately explain away the incident. "No one came out of that time unchanged, but I don't normally trigger like that. It won't happen again."

"It's okay. You're not the first person I've seen break down like that." It'd been after a sparring session years ago. Kallen recalled Cornelia's trembling form as she recounted the experiences of her early childhood. A pervasive layer of fear had coloured everything from something as simple as breakfast to the absolute vulnerability of sleep. It was no wonder how protective she was of Euphie. "If it makes you feel any better, Lelouch and I don't intend on an abrupt transition. It's ironic, really, but we can easily recycle the current emperor's rhetoric for our own goals."

Anne chuckled weakly at the gall and gumption. "Drop the focus on Britannian supremacy, and he does preach a rather cutthroat meritocracy of sorts, doesn't he?"

"Of sorts," Kallen echoed with less humour. "Regardless, there's a reason I said I wanted to put Lelouch on the throne for sixty years. I know dismantling the number system will be a slow, gradual, incremental process. I've done some experimenting myself with Stadtfeld Industries to…mixed results. Without me at the top pressuring for my policies, I suspect it would revert to old practises soon enough. But on the other hand, I'm richer than ever!"

Anne laughed at the joke.

"More seriously, it has yet to blow up in my face. It's hard to argue with profits. At some point I'm sure economic interests will eventually outweigh racial biases. Once they have, I can chip away at the latter more overtly. It won't be perfect, there will always be outliers, but that's life. Even if everyone is 'good', when you have thousands of people bouncing off of each other, you'll always end up with a mess."

"It would be nice if that wasn't true."

"Oh, I agree. It would certainly make my life a lot easier."

"Mine, too," Anne said. "Maybe someday we'll crack the magic formula."

Kallen snorted. "If you ever do, let me know. I have eight million people determined to give me headaches and flood my office with paperwork."

"So what is His High–"

"Just call him Lelouch." Now that she knew more about Anne, Kallen could spot the woman fumbling slightly over the formal address. "I assure you he won't mind in private. None of us will."

"So what is Lelouch, then, doing while you enrich yourself?"

"Oh, he runs his own little social experiments. He usually flits from one group to the next while I indulge in my long-term case study. Most recently, while we were in Russia, he organised for our loyal shinobi to work with our regular soldiery. It worked out better than I expected."

"Yes, I noticed. How do you plan to get Lelouch on the throne?"

It would certainly not involve starting another purge of the imperial family. Kallen quickly reassured Anne of that. "Our next move is fairly obvious. We need to topple Schneizel from his position as the obvious successor. We can't really eclipse him in power so completely; the best we could really do is match him. That means we need to force him to severely misstep somehow."

"Have you and Lelouch ever considered just _asking_ for the throne?"

Kallen went to laugh but ended up inhaling some of her soup instead. Once she'd coughed it out of her lungs, she said, "Yes, I'm sure that'll work."

With an appropriate dramatic flair, Anne made a show of dialling an imaginary phone and then put it to her ear. "Dad? Yes, I know I never call or visit. Look, I just wanted to know who you planned to leave the throne to. What do you mean I'm the first person to ask?"

Kallen tried her best, but she couldn't stop snickering.

"Me? Really? Because I remind you of yourself when you were young? Bah! I don't need your charity. I'm going to make my life extremely complicated scheming for the throne and spilling blood to get it so I can fix everything I see wrong with my country. Yes, I know I'll still be at it twenty years later. What? No, I don't see the parallels! I assure you, I do not 'even have the same taste in women'."

"Enough. Enough!" Kallen said. She swore she was going to pull something if she laughed any harder. "Be realistic." The emperor didn't even have time for any of his children not actively involved in his government.

"Well, at any rate, you two can count on my support so long as you don't do anything too extreme."

Between gasps for air as she recovered, Kallen offered her gratitude.

"No problem. Oh! By the way, let me be the first to congratulate you two on securing the Japanese viceroyalty for Euphemia."

Kallen sobered in an instant as her jaw dropped.

"I guess that wasn't you?"

* * *

 **A/N:** You know, I thought long and hard about writing a different speech for Charles, but you can really slot it in to nearly any circumstances and have it work just as well. Part of the point of it and why it works so well is how little it actually has to do with Clovis, so I left it alone. There's no sense in messing with perfection.

Anyway, this stage was getting far too big, so I've split it into two halves. The next half isn't done yet, not nearly, but it'll be the concluding chapter of R1.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	28. R1 S24 - In the Shadow of Victory II

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round One  
Stage 24 - In the Shadow of Victory II

 **Viceroy's Palace  
** **Government Borough, Area 11  
** **December 8, 2016 a.t.b.**

It was a beautiful morning at the end of autumn. Euphemia awoke from a pleasant night's sleep fully recharged after a long day and an even longer flight across the Pacific. As she went about her morning routine, she mentally catalogued everything she hoped to get done today, though she expected to barely make a dent.

Out of the corner of her eye, Euphemia noticed her phone's screen lit up with an incoming call. It ended before she finished brushing her teeth, but it didn't matter. When she finally got to it, she found that either Lelouch or Kallen had been calling repeatedly throughout the night. A minor reprieve, most likely for their supper, preceded the latest.

 _Somehow I suspect they just discovered who the new viceroy for Japan is. And before my public swearing in, too. I suppose I should call them back sometime before they head to bed. Let's see who called me last…_

The line didn't even ring before Kallen answered.

"Good evening," Euphemia offered. Rather casually, she asked, "You know, you don't have to bombard me with phone calls. You can tell when I'm going to pick up, can't you?"

Kallen sighed. "Good morning, Euphie. Lelouch is with me."

"Oh! Evening, Lelouch."

He tossed a brief greeting back.

"To answer your question," Kallen began, "I can if I want, but I can only see so far. A dozen missed calls might make you more inclined to answer in an hour."

"Or less," Euphemia replied.

Kallen echoed back a dry, "Or less."

"Or when I awaken."

Lelouch's patience broke first. He asked, "Euphemia, we just found out who the new viceroy of Japan is from…someone we barely know. Is there something you would like to tell us?"

"Well, that depends on if I will have already told you." After a moment to reflect, Euphemia asked, "Is that the right tense?"

Light laughter met the question, distinctly Kallen's. Lelouch, however, remained unimpressed; his tone made that perfectly clear. "Japan is without question our most important colony, Euphemia. That comes with some protection from interference, but there will be countless people actively trying to remove you from the position."

"I know it's dangerous," Euphemia said patiently. It was best to just let Lelouch and Kallen get all this out of their system. They couldn't be any worse than Cornelia had been. "I've been going through Clovis's private records. This place is a mess."

"The emperor forced this on you, didn't he? I never should have suggested – he obviously intends to leash me and Marrybell this way."

As Lelouch continued his wild accusations outside the audible range, Kallen lightly cleared her throat. "Euphie, for future reference, you can tell me anything in _complete_ confidentiality. I just need to know you have something to say. Well, and a little time."

Oh, now that _was_ an interesting application of Kallen's geass. No better encryption existed than the transition of messages without a medium. Still, those two were overreacting.

"I appreciate your concern. Honestly, I do. But it's misplaced. I asked for the position."

A chorus of, "What?" came over the phone.

"Mm-hmm. Cornelia helped me get it, and I've already arranged for Marrybell's assistance with military matters. She'll assume the late General Asprius's position."

As neither immediately responded, Euphemia assumed they were still in shock. She continued, "Thank you for securing the Tokyo duchy for Ruben, by the way. When Milly mentioned your offer to me, I went straight to him to ask for his support. Having the Duke of Tokyo on my side will greatly simplify matters."

It took some time, but Lelouch eventually broke the silence. "I don't know what to say."

"You could say, 'Thank you, Euphemia.' I plan to finish my formal education, of course, but I do have to leave Ashford for this."

Kallen said it first. "Thank you, Euphemia. Please take care of Japan." A formal bow likely accompanied the request even if it went unobserved.

A long series of hushed and oft intense whispers followed before Lelouch finally replied in kind. Though it came reluctantly, he did say, "Thank you, Euphemia," which was what counted.

"You're both welcome."

"Promise me you'll be careful," Lelouch demanded. "And stay safe."

"I will." It was distasteful to consider it a boon, but Clovis had left it to her all the same. "If it will let you sleep more soundly, there are a considerable number of important positions open after Anne and Sayoko swept through the area. There will be even more once I let Marrybell start dragging people into the courts. I should be able to fill the vacancies mostly with my own people."

"I see. And how much of that did Marrybell instruct you to say?"

Now that was a little insulting. Euphemia puffed up her cheeks and pouted at her brother for all the good it did half the world away. "I'll have you know you don't have a monopoly on political savvy in this family."

"Indeed. That was rude."

Lelouch let out a long sigh. "My apologies. Please just take care of yourself."

"I will."

"And if you need help, ask."

With a roll of her eyes – had she not already said she had plenty? – Euphemia replied, "Of course."

"And–"

"Lelouch!" This was really too much. "If you wish to mother a child, have one of your own."

A quiet snickering filled the background, and Euphemia could perfectly imagine the glare her brother sent at his knight.

"Anyway," Euphemia began, "if you don't mind, I have a job to get to. I'm going to be busy for months just settling in, and I'd like to get started. Good night."

Before Lelouch could protest, Kallen said, "I'll bring your brother around for you. Have a good day, Euphie." Some off the record prodding likely forced Lelouch to say goodbye as well with the call ending immediately after.

 _Well, that went better than I expected._

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
** **Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
** **December 7, 2016 a.t.b.**

"She convinced _Cornelia_ to help her get the position, Lelouch. She has Marrybell to guide her and look out for her. Nunnally is staying at Ashford. Why does this bother you so much?"

So many reasons leapt to mind, Lelouch had a hard time cataloguing them. With the viceroyalty of Japan came control over the vast majority of the world's sakuradite. Euphemia had, in one fell swoop, made herself a kingmaker, an essential key to the empire. Everyone now would want her loyalty or, if that could not be obtained, her _removal_. Not all of her enemies would even be domestic. Worse, Clovis had left the colony in dire straits, and everyone knew her as a kind and gentle young woman with little bark and no bite. She could hardly have painted a larger target on her back.

But worst of all, Lelouch confessed, "Because she did it for us."

Kallen sighed quietly but offered Lelouch an understanding smile. She didn't push the subject after that, thankfully, and left him to his own thoughts on the matter. It wasn't that he thought Euphemia couldn't rise to the task, and he didn't want to stifle her, but there were less dangerous ways to make herself useful if that was what she wanted. He could really use a socialite to speak on his behalf when he was unavailable. Or perhaps a lawyer who could plan the fine details and plot the path of least resistance for the reforms he ultimately intended to impose upon the empire. That was a mammoth task, and it would keep her safely ensconced within a legal library for years, decades. Or if not that, then–

"Ehem."

With a wistful farewell to the many worlds which would never be, Lelouch turned his attention to Kallen.

"We were speaking of Anne's visit."

 _Oh, yes. Anne._ "You were saying you had her age narrowed down?"

A nod met the question. "If we're to believe her backstory, she took part in the Emblem of Blood and was mistaken for a Six as a child. She can't reasonably be older than one hundred or younger than thirty-five. I get the general feeling she's on the lower end of that scale, but why isn't something I can put my finger on."

Lelouch agreed, and he _did_ have a theory on why. It'd originated as a stray thought after their return to Britannia, an idea provoked from something Kallen had said when they were introducing Marrybell, Euphemia, and Suzaku to magic. Surely he'd been mistaken. Yet every word that poured out of her mouth only seemed to strengthen it. He was glad he'd, in a moment of what Kallen would have called paranoia at the time, ordered the maids not to clean up after Anne's lunch.

"Anyway, I think I had it backwards. I think it's Marianne who modelled herself after Anne, although I'm sure the sword style she passed on to Cornelia and myself came from C.C.." Kallen chuckled. "I feel a little jealous, actually. Marianne got two mysterious mentors in her life, but I only got one. The other seems to be avoiding me."

Lelouch shook his head at the joke. There were times when Kallen could be so childish. Still, he found it a rather endearing trait, although admittedly mostly because of her reactions when he teased her over it.

"I wonder if there's some tradition I'm missing out on. Anne is Elizabeth Ward. Do you know if Marianne is your mother's real name?"

"No, actually." With all original documentation lost, including her birth certificate, all anyone could trust on the matter had been Marianne's word. "But what is a 'real name'?"

Kallen waved the question off dismissively. "Birth name, then. You know what I meant."

"Please don't start introducing yourself as Ann or any variation thereof."

Rolling her eyes, Kallen nudged Lelouch with her foot. "Don't be daft." She hummed thoughtfully. "Kōzuki Karen… K.K.?"

"No. If you reach the ripe old age of six hundred, then you can consider it."

"Whatever you say, L.L.."

Lelouch sighed and turned to gaze out the window. He suspected Kallen still held a petty grudge over the whole 'Rose' affair. After earning a new epithet, one she actually liked and which saw common usage, he'd hoped she'd have forgotten that. Maybe he could bribe her to forget about it. He _had_ won their bet over C.C.'s protection of them, grudging though the admission had come from Kallen. He frowned. They could certainly trust the veracity of the information's source.

"Hey." At some point, Kallen had slipped out of her seat to find room beside Lelouch. She reached out and intertwined her fingers with his. "Don't worry about Euphie. She'll be okay. I promise. Your oracle is on the case."

Reassuring, Lelouch was sure, but not the centre of his thoughts at the moment. "That's not what's on my mind."

"No? Then what's bothering you now?"

Lelouch's frown deepened. He didn't particularly want to voice his theory yet before he'd even sorted out how he felt about it. "You said geass all have some variety of mental effect?"

"So Anne implied, and our evidence corroborates. We have an illusionist that messed with our vision. C.C. is different but can, at minimum, memory dump and employ telepathy. Apparently there's a shapeshifter running around, which is another sorcerer who tampers with perception. Sayoko has the power to take over someone's will, though with the whole Euphie situation, I forgot to ask what her specific power was or if she'll be returning to us anytime soon. Mine…" Kallen shrugged.

"Then in application, you would expect a shapeshifter to be unchanged beneath the illusion?"

Kallen thought about it for half a second before replying, "Yeah, I suppose."

That matched Lelouch's conclusion as well. It made sense to him, but he'd wanted to make sure he wasn't grasping at straws.

"But do recall that Anne is a magical secret agent. I'd be willing to bet she's been zeroed. You won't find a single record of her in the system even if you managed to collect some of her DNA."

"I already have it." To Kallen's surprised expression, Lelouch added, "You ate lunch with her. I'm sure the lab techs can pull it off of _something_ she used."

"Huh. Sneaky. But my point stands."

It did, but Lelouch wasn't flailing in the dark trying to uncover _an_ identity. He just wanted to verify if it matched with one in particular. If that test returned negative, he would have to employ less savoury measures to ease his mind.

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace  
** **Government Borough, Area 11  
December 13, 2016 a.t.b.**

As she pushed through the seemingly endless piles of paperwork arrayed before her, Euphemia absentmindedly brushed a few strands of pink hair behind her ear. It felt so good to be permanently back in her natural colour. She still had to regrow it to her preferred length, of course, but she no longer jumped when brown locks suddenly fell into her face. Even after so many years, she had never gotten used to that.

A long sigh forced its way out of Euphemia. She pushed aside one completed form and took the next from the stack. It wasn't much different from the work she did at Ashford, but it did fall short in the form of amusing anecdotes. Still, she'd brought this upon herself, and she was determined to power through it.

 _I just need to get caught up,_ Euphemia reminded herself. Once she cleared the backlog built up in Clovis's absence, everything would slow down. Then she could start reforming the government and properly fill in all of the vacant positions Anne and Sayoko had created. Her ad hoc solution of overworking everyone, including herself, and doubling or tripling up jobs could only last her a week or two at most. Some people weren't even qualified for the roles she'd pushed them into.

Indeed, a prime example of such just walked through the open door to her office. Dame Villetta Nu was a good knight and a decent administrator in her own right, but she made for a lousy personal assistant. Still, she was Jeremiah's friend, and that bestowed a minimum level of trustworthiness into her, and that was all Euphemia really needed while she settled into her position.

"Please tell me you don't have more paperwork for me."

"Worse. There's been a terrorist attack in the New Bath area."

 _Already?_ Euphemia pinched the bridge of her nose. She hadn't even finished officially clearing Marrybell for military service, let alone putting her in charge of the whole thing; it came as no surprise, but that process had quickly become a long, gruelling chore filled with red tape meant to keep her out. Sir Kewell Soresi worked as a stopgap to hold the army together, but he was a pale substitute, and there were plenty of more respected, qualified, and able people around, if not as trustworthy. The last thing Euphemia needed was the military upset with her.

"Is it over already?" Euphemia asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. The local police are responding to the incident in the city while the military has mobilised on the off chance they can pick up the terrorists' trail. Early reports suggest they headed north toward the Black Hills."

"Where?" Come to think of it, Euphemia had no idea where 'New Bath' lay either.

Dame Nu brought up a map on her phone and pointed out the location. Euphemia recognised it as the Gifu area.

"Can I assume that everything is well enough in hand that I don't have to personally step in?"

"I suppose," Dame Nu replied hesitantly. "Although His Highness, Prince Clovis, would usually issue a statement to the public."

"I have a press conference this evening, don't I? I'm sure I can answer questions I don't know the answers to then well enough." Euphemia let out a long sigh. She was more responsible than that. "Ask Marrybell to look into the situation for me on the off chance she isn't already. I'll need her expertise tonight."

The look on Dame Nu's face said everything for her.

"I don't care what anyone's opinion of my sister is. If you personally have a problem with her, keep it to yourself."

"Yes, Your Highness." Surprisingly, that came off without a hint of sarcasm or discontent.

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

Dame Nu hesitated again. With some silent prompting from Euphemia, she said, "Well, there were a few minor matters we were hoping to resolve without troubling you." She glanced at the stack of paperwork on Euphemia's desk and fidgeted with the phone that held far too many appointments for the foreseeable future. "Our garrisons are still stretched thin after…the incident in Shinjuku" – a wisely chosen description – "and Prince Lelouch's requisition of men and material for the invasion of Russia. The Elevens have taken advantage of the situation to raid one of our manufactories in Berxley."

Euphemia poked at her phone on her desk and found Berxley on the map. It was the new name for the city of Mito, apparently. Dame Nu noticed but didn't comment.

"I think I need to reprioritise and get Marrybell in charge of the military before I get our government running again. What else?"

"The venue for next year's summit on sakuradite exports still needs to be chosen. It's usually held somewhere near the Fuji mines. Upper and Lower Foxley are said to have a beautiful view of the mountain."

And those were the cities surrounding Lake Kawaguchi.

"Have the offers forwarded to me, and I'll take a look at them." That summit was too important to international politics for Euphemia not to attend to it personally.

"Er, I'm not sure if we have any yet. I'm honestly not sure where I'd look to find out."

"Someone in the State Department should be organising the event."

"Right." Dame Nu made a note of that and then moved on to the next item. "Uh, outside the Tokyo Settlement, our transportation system is in dire need of expansion to ease intercity traffic if we can find the funds."

Euphemia laughed without any heart to it. "We have no money for noncritical projects right now." Once she managed to clean up or gain control of the judiciary system, _then_ things could change. Marrybell possessed a mountain of evidence against _a lot_ of officials and nobles in the colony. The resulting fines would generate an obscene amount of revenue over the next five to ten years. Unfortunately, that didn't solve her immediate problems.

"Okay. Let's see… There's been concerning movement of the Elevens around Southwich Station."

 _Another new name…_ Euphemia typed it into her phone, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. "Enough!"

Dame Nu took a half-step back. "Your Highness?"

"Enough! Enough is enough! It's Akihabara. Honestly! Japanese is one of the easiest languages to pronounce. We don't have to systematically rename every last bloody thing on this island."

"It's imperial policy to–"

"I. Don't. Care. What's next? Tokyo? Mount Fuji?" Frustrated, Euphemia tore a blank sheet of paper from one of her desk's drawers. She quickly penned out a new law, making sure to express her displeasure in unnecessary detail, and signed it with aplomb. "There. We're reverting all of the names. I am so tired of having to look up landmarks."

Euphemia held up her scratch paper law. When Dame Nu didn't immediately leap to accept possession of it, she shook it insistently. "Go on. Take it and go. I want this on the books before lunch."

"Uh, of course, Your Highness."

The very moment Dame Nu disappeared into the corridor, Euphemia relaxed with a mischievous grin. There was nothing quite like a royal tantrum to pass reforms. It was then with a deep sigh that she returned to her job. She set aside everything she had been working on to focus on putting the military under Marrybell's control. That had to take priority, lest she not have a colony to rule over. Hopefully, she could finish before she had to start attending meetings this afternoon.

A girl could dream.

A couple hours later, Marrybell herself appeared with Suzaku. She carried a 'small' stack of paper in one hand.

Euphemia, appropriately, said, "I hate you. Go away."

And of course Marrybell chuckled, though there was something just slightly off about it. She held up the wad of paper. "It's just the report on the terrorist attack. I can summarise it for you in less than five minutes if you'd like."

"If it reaches any conclusion but 'we need more knightmares' or 'we need more money', then by all means."

"I'll just leave this here, then." Marrybell set the report down on a corner of Euphemia's desk where it would likely lie ignored for days, weeks, or until it fell onto the floor and got binned. "I assume you'll want me at your press conference."

Euphemia nodded. "I have a gift for you, too." She shoved at least ten kilos of paper across the desk. "File these for me, and you'll officially have the security clearance you were born with back."

"Joy."

"There's a label for the department you have to stop by on each form. And these" – Euphemia hefted an equally sizeable stack off of a third and let it thud onto her desk – "prevent me from having to assign someone to echo every order you give. It's an ad hoc 'in my name' sort of thing. I haven't managed to untangle all of the barriers Father put in front of you yet, and there are some I know I simply can't, but it's a start."

Marrybell nodded silently as she straightened the piles placed in front of her. "I appreciate this, Euphemia. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now scoot or you won't finish before everyone goes home."

"Yes, Your Highness." Marrybell rolled her eyes and took one of the stacks for herself.

Suzaku moved to take the second but stopped when he got his fingers underneath it. He paused a moment in indecision. "Eto…"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a moment?"

Behind Suzaku, Marrybell arched an eyebrow. Nonetheless, she said, "I'll just go on ahead, then," and left the room.

Now alone, although the doors remained open, Euphemia asked, "Is this something about Marrybell?"

"No. It's not… Well, she's been…distant lately. Not obviously so, but she's, eh, not her usually grumpy self."

It was horrible, but Euphemia hid a laugh behind a hand. "She's not handling Clovis's death well, is she?"

"Not at all." Suzaku looked around at the ceiling. "Is this room under surveillance?"

With a flick of a switch, Euphemia said, "Only sound, and not anymore, but be aware there's guards within shouting distance."

"Good." Suzaku's gaze drifted down to the paper in his hands. Quietly, he leaned forward and said, "I think she was a party to it."

Euphemia's eyes widened as a small gasp escaped her. Marrybell had made no secret that she wished to be involved, but to hear she'd gone through with it came as a shock. "Are you sure?"

"She refuses to talk about the night it happened, so I can only assume."

 _Oh, Marrybell, you poor, foolish girl._

"I probably shouldn't have told you that."

"No," Euphemia said. "It's good you did." She now knew exactly what had Suzaku worried. She'd already lost a brother to this mess. She'd not lose a sister as well. "She's going to need a lot of support. From _all_ of us."

"Thank you." Suzaku shifted in place, clearly working up the nerve to say something. "I think I owe you an apology."

Euphemia quirked her eyebrows. "Whatever for?"

"I, uh…" A nervous laugh escaped Suzaku. "I've had a bit of a thing for Marrybell for a while."

 _Oh, royals and their knights. We have something of a type, don't we?_ Euphemia chuckled to herself. "I assure you, you don't have to apologise for that, Suzaku. I suppose I'm a little miffed you two waited so long to tell me, but I don't blame either of you."

"No, it's not – she doesn't know."

"No?" Euphemia furrowed her brow, trying to understand where this was going.

"I, uh" – a light blush dusted Suzaku's face – "I got shot down before I could say anything. Full stop."

"Oh dear. I'm sorry to hear that." After considering whether she should for a moment, Euphemia added, "I do think you two go very well together."

Suzaku shrugged. "Anyway, I…well…you uh, well, look quite like her, and you're a safe target to look at. Eto…"

She really shouldn't with such an earnest boy, but Euphemia laughed anyway. She couldn't help herself. "Apology accepted, Suzaku," she managed between breaths.

"I… Thank you." That was all Suzaku managed to get out through his now very pronounced blush.

As Euphemia opened her mouth to speak, her words turned into a shriek. Something soft and _alive_ brushed up against her leg beneath her dress. She jumped back into her chair and ended up toppling over onto the ground.

"Euphie!" Concerned, Suzaku leapt over the desk, somehow not scattering paper everywhere, and landed at her side. "Are you okay?"

"A little sore, but–" Euphemia spotted the culprit beneath her desk. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest little thing!" She tried mewling at it to coax it out of hiding, and to her great surprise, the tiny dark grey kitten came straight to her and leapt into her arms. The adorable ball of fluff had a black dot on its forehead, another spot around it's right eye, and a third patch at the end of its tail.

At the door to the room, Euphemia noticed her guards about to storm inside and tackle, if not outright arrest, Suzaku. She silently dismissed them and hoped he hadn't noticed the intrusion.

"A stray?" Suzaku said, observing that it didn't have a collar. "How did it get in here?"

In jest, Euphemia replied, "Through the door, I'd imagine." She quickly checked the kitten's gender. "Well, I'll not turn away the first supplicant to appear in my court. We need to find a good home for him." A frown quickly grew on her face. "I don't think I have enough time for a pet right now, especially not one so young."

Suzaku reached his hand out warily to pet the kitten. He didn't have a good track record with animals. Sure enough, the kitten bit him.

"Oh my."

Suzaku flinched but otherwise didn't react to the bite with more than a sigh. "Akane is allergic anyway. Marrybell and I can't take him."

"Hmm…" A better idea occurred. Euphemia found her phone and sent a picture of the kitten to Kallen. With it, she added, 'Needs a good home.' She recalled Kallen had mentioned considering getting a pet.

A minute later, Kallen replied with surprising enthusiasm. 'A black cat! Perfect! This is just what I needed. Every sorceress needs a familiar or cute mascot character.'

'He's more grey than black,' Euphemia replied.

'Details. I'll take him. Does he have a name?'

Euphemia grinned mischievously and tilted her phone to let Suzaku read her response. 'Lelouch the Second.' He snickered with a hint of reprimand in his eyes.

'You've spent too much time serving under Milly.'

After debating back and forth with Suzaku for a short while, Euphemia sent back, 'How about Arthur?'

It took a few minutes for Kallen to finally reply. When she did, it was with an abrupt, 'Sure. Need to go. Lelouch needs me for something.'

 _Lelouch needs her?_ Considering the local time in Pendragon, Euphemia had to wonder exactly what her brother needed Kallen for. A smile grew on her face as she wished him better luck in love than Suzaku had. Not that she thought he needed it.

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
** **Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
** **December 12, 2016 a.t.b.**

Kallen entered Lelouch's study to find him at his desk. A manila envelope sat at its centre with what looked like a short report atop it. He sat with a dark, brooding expression on his face, illuminated only by moonlight and the fireplace.

"Honestly, you are so dramatic." Kallen flipped the lights on. "What happened?"

"The DNA test came back."

A casual hand invited Kallen to read the report, so she did. "Birth name Elizabeth Ward. Age eighteen?" She glanced up, and Lelouch rolled his hand to continue. "Female. Born and raised in Pendragon. Only living family is a great uncle in prison."

A footnote came with that. None of Anne's information was on record _anywhere_. It only happened to be the case that her DNA matched with her great uncle's, who told them what had happened to her. But even that came down to luck; the empire had recently adopted a policy to catalogue the DNA of all newly convicted felons.

"Let's see… Lost her family in a car crash. Miraculously recovered from a coma seven years ago only to slip back into it a few months later. She woke up again two years ago and has no paper trail until Ashford." Kallen put the report down. "That is _incredibly_ suspicious."

"Quite."

"So she's either lying through her teeth, damn good at it, and absolutely brilliant to make up for all that missed time or someone is using her body like a puppet."

Lelouch checked the clock and stood up. "There are other possibilities," he said as he walked around his desk. "Implanted memories, perhaps. Compulsions. Who knows?" He gestured for Kallen to follow him out the door. "Jeremiah is going to shut off all security near the villa in precisely five minutes for the next half-hour."

"Uh-huh…"

"I need you to keep watch for me. This cannot leak to _anyone_. Including Jeremiah. I will not have anyone tampering with this test."

With how serious Lelouch sounded, Kallen could do nothing but nod and agree as she followed him through the villa. He took a winding, circuitous route in utter silence. This late at night, they rarely ran into anyone who would mark their passing.

Eventually, they slipped into one of the secret passages that led outside the villa proper. Lelouch grabbed a torch to supplement the emergency lighting and continued on. Soon enough, Kallen knew their ultimate destination: the mausoleum.

"You cannot be serious. Do you actually believe Marianne would fake her death and…what? Just leave? Abandon her children?"

Lelouch halted and turned in place. He locked eyes with Kallen and said, "If I had a good reason, I would for Nunnally. For Euphemia. Cornelia. You."

Without bidding, the memory of Anne saying that Marianne didn't want them involved with magic came to mind along with how utterly defeated she'd looked when she'd confirmed that Kallen had a geass. Kallen averted her gaze. She knew she'd lost the argument. Lelouch continued on down the tunnel with her following behind.

"What if it _is_ her you're about to desecrate?" Kallen whispered.

"Then I was wrong," Lelouch said plainly. "No harm done. The dead have no need for their corpse."

 _Well, he's not wrong…_

They continued their march through the empty tunnel. After a few twists and turns, Lelouch broke the silence. "Besides, if it weren't for imperial policy, Mum would have wanted a funeral pyre. I've thought about organising one in secret on multiple occasions."

"Lucky you didn't, I suppose." Kallen wasn't sure what else she was supposed to say to that.

Soon enough, they arrived at the mausoleum. The small palace of marble held the previous occupants of Aries Villa dating back to its original construction over a hundred years ago. The windows were of stained glass and depicted the god for which the palace was named overlooking some grand battle. A multitude of flowers whose meaning Kallen didn't know were strewn about the room, some in bouquets and some in more permanent vases.

The lights turned on automatically when they eventually tripped a sensor. The pair then split up and quickly searched the tomb. To their good fortune, they found it empty. Once that was done, Lelouch set to work while Kallen took up her post at the only proper entrance to the building to stand guard. It seemed he knew what he was doing, and thankfully, she wouldn't have to watch.

He tried to be quiet, Kallen was sure, and perhaps it was just the silence of the night amplifying the tiniest sounds, but Lelouch made enough noise to wake the dead. _Urgh, wrong choice of idiom._ She shoved the thought from her mind and tried to tune out the sounds echoing out of the tomb.

Lelouch called Kallen in briefly to help with the heavy lifting. Although she reluctantly complied, she still bolted as soon as possible. As much as she fought against it, she couldn't stop her mind from conjuring vivid images of what must be happening inside. Her imagination ran wild without permission, and – _what was that popping sound? No, don't think about it, Kallen. Don't think about it._

Ten minutes later, Lelouch recalled Kallen to help him replace everything. They moved in tandem and worked as quickly as possible. Once done, leaving not a speck of dust out of place, they beat a hasty retreat.

As soon as they were back in the tunnels, Kallen immediately said, "I don't want to know."

Lelouch, looking rather green, nodded. It came as somewhat of a relief to know he found his labour no more palatable than she did. "It was definitely a corpse, at least."

Not wanting to prompt any more detailed description, Kallen said nothing. They made their way back to the villa in silence and went their separate ways with the unspoken understanding that they would never speak of tonight again.

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
** **Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
** **December 15, 2016 a.t.b.**

Kallen had no idea how she was supposed to feel right now. On the one hand, having Marianne back, no matter what form she took, would be a miracle. But on the other, she'd been _gone_ for seven years. A lot had changed, much of it stemming directly from her absence. Some things which were lost could never be recovered.

But as unsure and tempestuous as her own emotions were, Kallen could only imagine how Lelouch must feel when confronted with the possibility. It wasn't like she'd had to face the idea herself with her own parents. Hearing of Naoto's survival was the closest she had ever come, and she'd already expected that when she never found his body.

"Would you like me to open it?" Kallen asked.

"No."

He said that, but Lelouch handed over the DNA report still sealed in the envelope it'd been delivered in. Kallen took it and skimmed through the contents. She had to parse the scientific jargon and filter out all of the extraneous details. When she finally found the conclusion, she read it aloud.

"'The male and female samples submitted were a match for mother and son.'" The icy fingers of loss pried deep into Kallen's chest. Across from her, Lelouch fought to keep his face a stony mask. "Ninety-nine percent probability." She let the report slip from her hand onto the table. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." Lelouch's voice cracked. He would fool no one right now. "Nothing has changed. At least I know for sure."

Kallen kept silent and waited. If Lelouch needed her, she was there. Of course, as might be expected, he turned to life's puzzles to distract himself.

"Yes, this changes nothing. Anne and Elizabeth Ward are not the same person, regardless of whatever puppetry the former employs. I believe we were mistaken about Sayoko as well."

With what they knew now, it did seem likely that Anne, not Sayoko, was the one controlling people from the shadows in both the Code R raid and in the assassinations that followed. "Probably," Kallen said. "But Anne is still a friend to us."

"Yes, you're likely right." Lelouch ran a hand across his face. "I suppose it doesn't matter who she really is or if she's any _one_ at all."

Now there was an idea. How many identities did Anne maintain with how many different bodies? Could she access the memories of whoever she possessed? Did she pick up their personalities, or did she have to put on a series of acts?

Interrupting Kallen's train of thought, Lelouch said, "Don't call her out on her geass. If she tells you herself, fine, but otherwise it's best she doesn't know we know. I'd rather not poke that sleeping dragon."

That was fair enough. The last thing they needed was an angry or frightened puppeteer. For all they knew, Anne had torn through Japan and dismantled Clovis's inner circle unnoticed and alone. _The damage she could do…_ But an idea occurred. "Do you think Code R ever got anywhere with its geass research?"

"Ask your brother if you want, but I doubt it. They didn't have C.C. for very long." Lelouch reconsidered his words. "Well, not as science counts days. C.C. would beg to differ, I'm sure. Why the interest?"

"Just wondering if there's a way to disrupt magic. Without gaining C.C.'s power set, that is."

Lelouch gave it a few moments' thought before saying, "Probably. Not that we have any way to experiment. Your power is too dangerous, and I'd rather not provoke the ancient, immortal witch with even a rumour of the idea carried on the breath of the wind."

"Good point."

* * *

 **Ashford Academy  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **January 16, 2017 a.t.b.**

 _Deep breaths. Deep breaths._ _In and out. We're done jumping at shadows. Be brave._

A new semester had commenced this morning. In the relatively pleasant Tokyo winter, students from every grade wandered across campus both indoors and out to reconnect with old friends, participate in one of Ashfords many clubs, or simply engage in whatever comedy intended to play itself out today. From the look of it, the Theatre Club had gotten into a drama battle with the Movie Club due to an overlap in their activities.

The clocktower bells rang out a single time heralding the new hour and the end of lunch. As usual, the students swarmed to get to their destinations in a great crowd, visibly forming into distinct flows. With the energy and chaos that daily infected the campus, it bore more than a passing resemblance to the panic in Kokubunji.

Her breathing rapidly shallowing as she watched the rush of students, Nina ducked behind a column. She placed her back to it and stared at the nice, stationary wall in front of her.

 _They're just kids with too much energy,_ Nina told herself. _There's no terrorists._

Nina spent the next few minutes convincing herself not to break down or flee back to her lab in the student council building. She might not have class right now – or really much at all since the English and history classes she _had_ to take conflicted with her university maths classes – but she didn't have Euphie to drag her away from her computer anymore or even Marrybell to talk to about coping. She was on her own until the end of the school year and her early graduation.

As the sound of chatter faded into the background, Nina finally felt the edge of panic retreat. She let out a long miserable sigh, rose, and at last continued on her way to the cafeteria.

 _It happened again. I shouldn't fall apart over nothing all the time. Why am I so pathetic?_ The memory of Marrybell leaping down onto a terrorist with sword and pistol in hand came to mind, an image Nina would never forget. _Why can't I be even just a little like her?_

In the cafeteria, Nina ordered sushi for herself, a taste she'd acquired over her stay at Marrybell's home. She then easily found an empty table for herself now that most students were back in class. It was only a few minutes before she had company, however. Nunnally took the seat across from her with a new face at her side. The brunette had a weary look about her, although as far as Nina could tell, her small smile did seem genuine.

"Afternoon, Nina," Nunnally began. "Allow me to present my cousin and new roommate, Luna Linette. Luna, this is the student council's Secretary for Science, Nina Einstein. She's bloody brilliant at maths and physics."

Nina and Luna – whose real name she felt she reasonably assumed was Laila – exchanged the usual pleasantries. As soon as they had, the Valkyrie girls appeared one by one and sat down at the table as well. And so her nice quiet lunch died a miserable death to a gaggle of thirteen and fourteen-year-olds.

It could be worse. Nina kept mostly to herself and quietly followed their conversation, forcing her mind not to wander back to her work. She suspected Milly would call Euphie away from the government to talk to her if she didn't at least pretend to have a social life. That was just the sort of thing Prez did, nevermind that, as viceroy, Euphie had far more important things to do than bother with the hopeless little scientist she had to keep from destroying the world or throwing it into chaos.

Someone dropped Suzaku's name, and though she was ashamed to admit it, Nina froze in place for a moment too scared to even jump in fright. The saddest part was how well that reaction compared to how she used to respond. No matter how often they told her it was okay and to go at her own pace, she knew she had to be trying both Marrybell's and even Euphie's patience. She could barely imagine how offended Suzaku and Akane must be whenever they witnessed her behaviour, nevermind Shizue.

Nina did her best to push her gloomy thoughts to the back of her mind and returned her attention to the conversation in front of her. It seemed someone had told Nunnally Marrybell planned to knight Suzaku once Euphie had settled into her position. The group had fallen into a debate over the merits of the action.

Nunnally approved, of course, and supported the appointment wholeheartedly. As far as Nina knew, the girl had always treated numbers as she would anyone else and knew Suzaku was fit for the position.

On the other side was the concerned sister. Laila considered it a terrible idea to give a number so much authority and trust which set a precedent everyone would be better off without. "And nevermind all that," she said, "the last thing Euphemia needs is such a polarising issue so early in her incumbency. Marrybell is already a highly controversial choice to head the military." It was a fair point.

The Valkyries found themselves in a more awkward position. In less than a week after meeting them, Nina had sussed out their varying levels of hero worship for Kallen. Kallen, who had personally assigned the Valkyries as Nunnally's personal guard and obviously delivered a glowing endorsement with all the doting of an indulgent older sister. Even if they privately agreed with Laila, they could hardly find it in themselves to say so.

Nina had to admit she found it a little amusing to watch the Valkyries' beliefs collide with their heroine's. They were so adorably awkward about the whole thing, especially Soresi. Perhaps they didn't know that Kallen was born and partially raised in Japan and still had friends amongst the Japanese?

"What's your opinion, Miss Einstein?" Vergamon asked.

"Oh! Me?" Dragged into the debate, Nina gave it some thought. Politics were not her cup of tea, but she assumed Marrybell and Euphie knew what they were doing. And she knew how to win those two the Valkyries' instant support. "Well, Suzaku is very strong. He's skilled in a knightmare, in a brawl, and with a sword. I had the pleasure of watching him and Kallen duel once on campus." She paused and made herself appear thoughtful for a moment. "You know, he and Marrybell have a lot in common with Kallen and Lelouch."

Nina could actually see the change of opinion show on each Valkyrie's face. It was like magic. She doubted it would lead to any deeper revelations – Marrybell seemed to have given her a mild case of pessimism – but Nunnally now had the weight of numbers on her side. Thankfully, that let her step aside and finish eating her lunch in peace.

* * *

 **Café Procope  
** **Paris, France  
** **January 16, 2017 a.t.b.**

A peaceful lunch was far from Leila's mind.

"He is the most vain, egotistical, arrogant–" Words escaped Leila as she descended into a frustrated growl. "He actually had the gall to _thank me_ for being his enemy." She ripped a piece of bread in half with her teeth and muttered more insults as she chewed. "He even had the countess training Ayano while we were stuck on that bloody island with him. Who does that!"

"Ah, young rivalry," Gene said wistfully.

Leila shot the man a glare.

"I remember when the Flash and I first shouted death threats across the field of battle. We were so young and in hate with each other."

"Will you stop treating this like this is some schoolyard crush!"

Gene chuckled, which earned him no points.

"I lost _a war_ to him!"

"Indeed, you did," Gene said as if the chaos that now plagued Russia in the aftermath were a trifling matter of no import. "And yet this is the most alive I've seen you in years."

"I–" It came as a heavy blow when, the more she considered it, the more Leila realised how right Gene was. She'd enjoyed matching wits with the prince far more than she should. And that moment when she thought she'd won had been so completely and utterly perfect.

Leila found something interesting to look at across the café and sipped from her tea in silence.

"So beyond the obvious, what's your impression of Prince Lelouch?"

As tempted as she was to vent some more, Leila set her humiliation aside. "You were right on all accounts. I lost. The prince is brilliant. The countess is terrifying. They're probably lovers. He was there for his own aggrandisement. His army was within your predictions. Worst of all, he thinks he's the good guy."

"Oh? Now that is different. The Flash was very upfront about how much she enjoyed her work."

"I don't doubt there's an aspect of that," Leila amended. She'd definitely gotten the sense that the prince enjoyed winning and outwitting people – or her, at least. Not that she had any right to condemn him for that in and of itself. "But he wants power to reform his empire." Despite the prince's penchant for deception, she did believe that of him. "He implied he wants the throne to do it."

"A noble goal, although an uphill battle. If true, it would make him a more appealing successor than many of the current contenders. How do you intend to respond?"

What kind of question was that? "I don't care what he gets up to in Britannia, but if he causes trouble outside it again, of course I'm going to stand in his way. I'm not going to just let him externalise Britannia's problems." As soon as she parsed the look on Gene's face, Leila added, "And don't you dare claim I'm being 'possessive of my rival' or some such nonsense," before he could say anything.

Of course, Gene still wore that insufferable smirk of his. "You realise that's what he wants, no?"

"He _wants_ " – the word came out scathingly – "me to knock everyone else down and then lose to him. He is the most infuriating–" Leila cut herself off there before she went on another tirade. "It doesn't fundamentally change the stakes. It's still win or lose in the end. It's just–" She let out a huff. As she picked up her tea, she finished, "–vexing."

"Yes, the most frustrating people to fight are those who find enemies as useful as friends."

Truer words had never been spoken.

"How did your return to the Malcals go?"

Leila sighed. "As expected." No, that wasn't quite right. She pondered whether she should say anything, but her hesitation did that for her. "Well, mostly."

* * *

 **Malcal Manor  
** **Paris, France  
** **January 8, 2017 a.t.b.**

Dinner was a miserable affair as it had been since Leila's recent return from Russia. The only difference tonight was the presence of Claude Malcal, the head of the family. The three brothers took it upon themselves to insert insults into practically everything they said, some none too subtle. Ioan was the worst of the lot, as usual. Yes, she'd lost. She'd never denied that fact. But did they _really_ have to constantly remind her? Did they have no other diversions in life?

Once they'd finished the evening's pudding, Leila promptly excused herself from the table. Her departure, however, was delayed as Claude instructed her to meet him in his study. He would be along shortly to have a chat with her.

Sighing, Leila complied with the demand.

It was ten minutes later when Claude finally arrived with a dour frown. But once he'd pulled the door closed behind him and noticed her, he banished it for a wide smile. "Leila, it's good to have you home."

Leila didn't respond immediately as she considered how she should. Ultimately, she decided upon a little honesty. Better that than outright lying or saying how much she wanted to leave. "To be honest, I'm very bored."

That elicited a laugh from Claude. "I'd imagine so after your tussle with Prince Lelouch. It's regrettable that you lost, though not unexpected. Regardless, I'm immensely proud of how you performed."

 _What?_ Leila blinked at Claude once, then twice. "How so?"

"'How so?' she asks. You made yourself into a national heroine. And that despite your heritage in the political climate. It's a pleasure to know you've yet to acquire swollen ankles, but it reflects perhaps more poorly upon your achievements to be so humble. It might surprise you how strong an impression you made on the politicians here at home."

 _Oh, so that's what this is about. I elevated the Malcal name. Of course that's it._ "It wasn't as hard as you might think. All of the conditions were right. I just had to seize the opportunity. Even Ioan could have done it with the right military adviser."

Claude scoffed. "Do not fill his head with ideas you know full well he's unsuited for. Ioan may have a way with women, but he lacks the ability to charm his way into anything but their knickers, much less the people's hearts."

That was unexpectedly blunt, but Leila hazarded the slightest upturn of her lips.

"We'll have to see what opportunities we can make for you in the future. The world is bound to grow more chaotic in the coming years. The rising, new Flash. The looming scramble for succession in Britannia. The wars in Africa and the tension in the Middle East. For good or for ill, we may be approaching a turning point in history. We will not be caught flat-footed and miss the chance to jump upon it."

That had been Leila's intention already, of course. She didn't agree with the spirit of self-interest in which it was meant, but she recalled what Gene had said when this all started. He played with the hand that life dealt him. She would have to as well if she wanted to be a force for good in this world.

"I hadn't intended to," Leila said. "Was there anything else, Father?"

"No, no." Claude dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "You did very well. Take some time to relax and enjoy life."

Leila said her good nights and retreated from the study. On her way through the manor back to her room, she noticed Ioan glaring at her fiercely from down one of the corridors before abruptly turning and storming away in a fit. In fact, the middle brother, Daniel, reacted much the same when she passed by him, if less overtly.

 _What was that about?_

* * *

 **Café Procope  
** **Paris, France  
** **January 16, 2017 a.t.b.**

"It's really nothing important, Uncle Gene," Leila added. "It's just more of the same except I'm useful now as more than a prop. How are the peace talks going?"

"About as well as you might expect between a hegemon and a state lacking a fully legitimate government. The most contentious issue is over the integrity of the empire. Britannia is insisting Russia divide itself into its component nation-states. After the loss of so much territory already, that's not going over well."

Leila sipped her tea as she considered the point. It was a brilliant ploy if one wanted an armistice to delay action until after winter had passed while looking like the reasonable party. The peace talks could go on for months internally without ever reaching a resolution. At the same time, it was hard for any foreign state to really argue against the idea considering how deeply rooted national sovereignty was laid out in the EU's constitution.

Worst of all, however, Leila had a suspicion that she needed confirmed. "Whose idea was that?"

A shrug met the question. "Prince Schneizel is leading the negotiations. My first guess would be him."

 _A reasonable guess._ Even so, Leila had always wondered how the prince managed to move about Russia so easily. If he'd acquired the silent assistance of these nation-states Britannia was trying to fragment the Russian Empire into, it would go a long way to explaining the mystery. She shared her thoughts with Gene.

The man immediately muttered a curse upon the prince under his breath. "That boy is dangerous."

"I'd prefer you not say anything," Leila remarked. She disagreed with the choice, but she did have some sympathy for the probable desire for self-determination behind it. "I have no proof, and I'd rather not ruin the reputations of these fledgling states and thus shackle them to Britannia by leaking their possible complicity."

Gene looked on with approval, if with a touch of melancholy.

"What?"

"I wish your parents could be here to see the wonderful young woman you're growing into. They would be so proud."

"I certainly hope you're right."

* * *

 **Marianne vi Britannia International Airport  
** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **May 24, 2017 a.t.b.**

Seven years. Seven long years. That was how long it'd been since Marrybell had last seen her beloved Oldrin in person. She paced nervously as she watched Oldrin's flight land and make its way toward the concourse. How was she supposed to react? Would hugging her give away her interest prematurely? Should she be casual? What if she couldn't hold back?

Not far away, Suzaku stood watch, clearly amused with his liege. Marrybell glared at him when she noticed, but the boy proved incorrigible, so she pointedly ignored him.

At last, _she_ appeared. The white sundress showed off every inch of her curves and skin as well as not a little cleavage. Her caramel hair flowed down her back despite being pulled up into a thick ponytail. How she managed to have all that hair and still maintain a full fringe, Marrybell would never know. She followed the pair of locks that had escaped the binding down the beauty's face until she arrived at the lips.

Those soft, pink lips just begging to be kissed as they stretched into a smile and moved closer faster and faster and – _I'm not ready! I'm not ready!_ Marrybell averted her eyes, flushed and embarrassed for losing herself in admiring her oldest friend's appearance. She fidgeted with her own dress and composed herself. When she looked back up, it was just in time for Oldrin to crash into her for a needy embrace.

Marrybell really should have responded as enthusiastically and immediately, but every part of her lingering attachment to reality screamed at her that she _should not make this sexual_ if she didn't want to frighten Oldrin back to the homeland. But then the rest of her reminded her that Oldrin had pressed her supple, nubile self fully into her, and she should just enjoy it while she could, because something would inevitably ruin this for her just like everything else.

Oldrin released Marrybell, although her hands trailed down the princess's arms to find and capture their opposite. They held each other's gaze for a moment.

"Marrybell? Are you okay?"

The woman in question shook herself and broke her stare at those bewitching green eyes. "Yes. I just – I – um… Nevermind."

Oldrin giggled even as Marrybell blushed.

"I'm very happy to be together again," Marrybell tried, fumbling over her words. Internally, she cursed herself. She was more eloquent than this. How was she supposed to seduce Oldrin if she couldn't even string words together properly?

"I am too. And this must be the innocent fool."

With a sharp glare at his princess, Suzaku said, "What exactly have you been telling her about me?"

"Only the stuff that makes you look like a sweet, kind boy."

Suzaku very much looked like he didn't believe a word of that.

"It's true! I swear," Marrybell added. "Would I lie to you?"

Rather flatly, Suzaku replied, "Yes."

"I'm hurt. Do you really trust me so little?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Marrybell noticed Oldrin briefly frown at the display before pushing a smile back onto her face. _What was that about?_

Nonetheless, Oldrin dipped into a shallow curtsy. "It's nice to finally meet you in person, Suzaku."

"Likewise," he said. He returned the gesture with a bow.

"Well then. Shall we collect your luggage and return home?"

It was agreed. As they moved about the airport and chatted, the years melted away. Oldrin, it seemed, was the one aspect of Marrybell's life that had remained completely untainted. No tragedy, no betrayal, no heartbreak, just long years of physical separation enforced by a father and an uncle.

After the long ride home, Marrybell offered to show Oldrin up to the room prepared for her. The pair detoured along the way with Marrybell giving a partial tour of her home and introducing any of the staff they bumped into. At last, though, they arrived at their destination.

"Here we are. If it's not to your liking, we can find another bedroom for you."

Oldrin shook her head. "This is perfect. Thank you."

Marrybell smiled warmly at the general good cheer the girl emitted like the sun. And speaking of, she said, "I recall your disgusting energy upon rising. The sun is brightest in this part of the house in the morning, so I figured you'd enjoy it if that hasn't changed."

"Hey! It's not my fault you're a lazy princess."

"Morning people," Marrybell said with a shake of her head. Suzaku had the very same affliction. What tragic lives those two led. "If you need to sleep off your jet lag, feel free. If not, Akane will have supper ready soon. I'll leave you to get settled in."

Oldrin grasped Marrybell by the arm as she was halfway out the door. "Wait. A word, first?"

"Yes?"

"I ran into Lelouch a few days ago at the start of the Season. He gave me some…absurd advice."

 _Uh-huh…_ Marrybell wasn't sure she wanted to know what it consisted of.

"But it got me thinking, and I think there's a few things we should…clarify. Get out into the open."

Somewhat worried now, Marrybell said, "I'm listening."

The first question came out easily. "Do you still want me to be your knight?"

 _Oh._ Marrybell could understand where that question had come from. "Of course I do. I've never forgotten the vow you made to me. Suzaku is another matter entirely."

Oldrin nodded. Her next question she visibly had to first work up a little nerve for. "Are we still best friends?"

"I like to think so." She knew the answer, she was sure, but Marrybell still warily asked, "Are we?"

"Yes!" The response came easily and eagerly. The third question, however, came both slowly and without warning. "Would you mind if I did this?"

Before Marrybell could even ask what 'this' was, Oldrin stepped forward and brought their lips together.

 _What?_

An insistent tongue pushed forward until Marrybell parted her lips more out of an attempt to voice her confusion than in invitation.

 _What!_

A moment later, Marrybell found herself with her back up against the wall. Oldrin stood on her toes to attain the necessary height to continue her good work, and her arms came up to wrap around her princess's neck.

 _What!?_

This never happened. This wasn't supposed to happen. Marrybell had _never_ not had to scrape and fight for her happiness. It had to be a trick of the light, a dream, _something_. It certainly felt like a dream come true. This sort of thing simply didn't happen to her. She didn't get happy endings.

Oldrin finally stopped and leant back. Blinking her eyes open, she snapped back to full awareness as regret washed over her. Sure enough, this would not end well. Of course it wouldn't.

"Oh, Marrybell, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to… I – I understand. I won't ever do that again."

Again, the only coherent thought Marrybell could make at first was a simple, _What?_ She then managed to ask, "Why wouldn't you?"

"You're _crying_."

Marrybell brought a hand up to her cheek. So she was. "Oh." Dazed, she'd utterly failed to respond appropriately to the occasion. "I have a lot to tell you. Most of it bad." She pushed forward and kissed Oldrin with all of the passion she should have put into the first one. "But later."

* * *

Suzaku let out a long, resigned sigh as the last shreds of hope he'd unknowingly clung to dispersed. Marrybell could read people so well but was equally blind to the affections others had for her. This turn of events hadn't surprised him, though it probably had her, but it would take some getting used to. But whether he did or not, this would be the first, last, and only time he shut the door for them.

* * *

 **Paris, France  
** **May 28, 2017 a.t.b.**

The sun hung overhead without a cloud in sight, bright and warm. The grass had regrown rich and lush through spring. The people gathered here kept their voices quiet out of respect but summed together produced a dull roar. It was so much like _that day_. Unlike then, though, it wasn't an organised gathering, this crowd, just the result of the obvious date happening to fall on an otherwise pleasant weekend.

Many had been and gone already. A few had stumbled upon her silently overlooking the whole affair atop higher ground nearby and offered their condolences. Most didn't. She wasn't trying to be found today, this one day of the year she allowed herself to indulge and immerse herself in her grief.

Time crawled by until everyone but her had finally left. In the light of the setting sun, Leila descended down to her parents' tomb. It stood tall and strong, hewn from solid stone and designed mostly after Britannian tradition with only a few minor concessions to better blend into the surrounding cemetery. Gene had organised its construction so many years ago.

"Hello, Mother. Father." Leila sat down and made herself comfortable at the sealed entrance to the tomb. "I still haven't gone native and found God, but…well, this has become something of a ritual for me. Helps me put my life in order, I suppose."

Leila spent the next few hours retelling the year gone by since her last visit. Far too much of it featured the prince, but she tried to minimise how much both he and his war had consumed her attention to little success. There simply wasn't much else to speak of between when she'd left for Russia and when she'd finally returned half a year later.

"I hope you're not mad at me for dragging Ayano and Anna out of school for an entire trimester. We'll make it up, I promise. I know school is important even if it's a little slow for me. I just – I had to go. And I needed those two with me. I came so close to turning everything around."

That might be less true than Leila wanted it to be. She'd certainly changed the way the prince had conducted his war, but that meant little on its own. In the end, she'd been forced to leave Russia in revolt before the brilliant idea to scapegoat her crystallised in some fool's head. Even after her loss, the public still adored her. If someone tried to accuse her of intentionally leading the army into defeat, the whole mess would have spiralled even more out of control.

Leila leaned back onto her arms. "I think I bring this up every year, but it must have been so difficult to cast everything aside and leave Britannia. I think I understand a little now. It was hard to leave Russia at the end, but I could only make the situation worse if I stayed. It was the right thing to do even if I didn't want to do it.

"I hope – I hope you're proud of me. I miss you so much. There's so much we missed out on. So much I'll never…" A small sob escaped Leila. "Why? What did you ever do to deserve assassination? Was it because you were Britannian? Because you were important and spoke out against the emperor? Just because you were popular or had new ideas? I don't understand."

It was an old, dull ache, but so close to the heart, it still tore at Leila's chest and left her in quiet tears. Her thoughts wandered back to her time with her parents, more echoes of recollections than memories themselves. She'd been too young when they'd passed. She could remember everything they'd had time to teach her, but she could barely remember them as people. The mind was so cruel in its function.

That was how the boy found her, mourning for her parents and lost opportunities. He had long blonde hair that fell all the way down to his feet and dressed in robes of white and the imperial purple with golden trim. If that alone weren't enough to put Leila on her guard, his eyes were of a piercing violet. When she looked into them, it felt as though he'd stared back into the heart of her very being and taken her full measure.

Leila wiped the tears from her face. "Go away. I'm not interested in whatever the prince sent you here for."

"I am not here on an errand for that whelp."

Leila narrowed her eyes. The boy way too young to have ever known her parents. What else could he be here for? "Go away. I'm also not interested in you taking advantage of my vulnerability today."

"My, how blunt. It's a shame your family left us; Charles would love you."

"Go away," Leila repeated for the third and final time. She rose to her feet.

The boy merely looked up to meet Leila's eyes. "I have a gift for you, freely given with no expectation of reciprocation. Regrettably, it is one best given in moments of emotional stress."

"'Gift'," Leila scoffed. Did the boy take her for a fool? "Who are you?"

"Someone who despises the vi Britannias but is…constrained in how he might act against them. That's all you need to know. We will never meet again after tonight."

Leila descended from the tomb step by step. "I'm not interested," she said flatly as she moved to leave. She had no trust for this boy, and his insistence was only making her angry. Today was not a good day to test her patience. "I will not involve myself in imperial grudge matches. I may not like the prince. I may stand against him. But I have no interest in revenge."

As Leila walked past the boy, he grasped her arm. The world fell away, and her body with it. A whirl of pulsing colours swept past her, not seen so much as experienced. Images of times long past from all around the world filled her mind interspersed with visions of her own life.

The boy's voice spoke directly to Leila without so tiresome a medium as air or ears.

"I propose a deal."

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
** **Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
** **June 16, 2017 a.t.b.**

"And now we come to the most important question."

"Milly," Kallen sighed. She'd long since lain down on the settee, idly answering questions and trying not to think of all the actual work she still needed to get done today. At some point, Arthur had wandered into the room and curled up on top of her for a nap. "You're killing me here. Lelouch and I have you so we don't have to decide what colour the curtains should be to best compliment my dress."

"A bride should take more interest in her wedding." The rebuke went ignored, but Milly paid the nonreaction no mind. "Now as I was saying, the most important question. Do you love him?"

"What?" Arthur mewled in protest as Kallen sat upright but happily curled up again on her lap once she'd settled into place. "What kind of question is that?"

"Are you saying you wouldn't marry him if it were 'all part of the plan'?"

"Well…" She _had_ resigned herself to a marriage of convenience before Lelouch's proposal. Defeated, Kallen admitted, "Okay, I see your point."

"Exactly. I have to look out for him. He only has tw – er, one older sibling who actually cares for him, and it was rather obvious she was pushing you two together."

Yes, that had been quite the surprise. "So I recently heard. Apparently, Marianne shipped us practically since we met. Cornelia took it as her duty to continue the mission."

Despite the surprise on her face, Milly still chuckled. "All the more reason to make sure you two aren't making a mistake. You have a good thing going as friends. I'd hate to see you ruin that."

"I would too." A blissful grin slowly grew on Kallen's face as she contemplated how to answer. "But you don't need to worry. Things are going well, and I certainly won't be a blushing bride."

"Oh, now _that_ is juicy gossip I can take back to Ashford."

Kallen clicked her tongue. She shouldn't have given Milly ammunition.

"I can't wait to tell everyone. Shirley won't be happy, I suppose, but she'll get over it. She really only entertained her infatuation with Lelouch because they knew each other personally. I assume there's not room for more?"

"Very unlikely. Lelouch doesn't really…notice women."

A predatory grin grew on Milly's face.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Kallen immediately protested before Milly could pounce. There was a word for Lelouch these days, though she had a hard time pinning it down. _Demisexual? Asexual but demiromantic?_ She shrugged. "If we brought anyone else into the relationship, it'd have to be someone we get along with and have spent years together. I'm not opposed to women, exactly, but Shirley isn't that person."

"'We'?" Milly asked knowingly.

There was no need to give Milly anything else with which to tease them. Kallen simply replied, "Lelouch and I agreed to take lovers together or not at all. That's all."

"How boring."

Kallen rolled her eyes.

"Now let's get back to work."

Kallen groaned.

"None of that now. At the reception, what kinds of pastries do you want? And where from?"

The minutes crawled by until they slowly turned into one hour, then two. In all honesty, Kallen just wanted to show up at her wedding, enjoy all of Milly's hard work, and then get on with her life. Was that so much to ask? And then Nunnally walked into the room.

"Hello, Sister."

"Hello, not-yet-sister," Kallen returned. "Would you by chance want to plan my wedding for me?"

Before Nunnally could answer, Milly said, "You are not going anywhere until we're done here."

"Of course not," Kallen muttered. "Did you need something, Nunnally?"

"I was just looking for a spot of help with my summer homework. I think I bit off more than I can chew."

As Kallen mentally tallied up how much time she could spare and came up wanting, Milly suggested, "Why don't you go find your brother and put that swot's brain to good use."

"He's not here right now." The emperor had summoned Lelouch away to the Imperial Palace for another private meeting. "He and Jeremiah should be back in…soon." Now that Kallen thought about it, they'd been gone longer than expected. If they didn't appear within the hour, she'd have to go storm the palace gates. "What about Lai–" No, Laila was off staying with her mother right now. "How about the Valkyries?"

Nunnally shook her head. "They're two classes behind me in maths."

Did that reflect well on Nunnally or poorly on the Valkyries? Kallen had a feeling it was a little of both. "I think Shinobu is around."

"Who?"

 _Huh._ As odd as it was, Kallen doubted Nunnally had ever met any of the Shinozaki besides Sayoko. "Nevermind. I'll introduce you sometime. And you know what? I think I need to spend some quality time with my soon-to-be sister-in-law."

Heedless to Milly's protests, Kallen stood up and let Arthur climb onto her shoulder in the process. Once on her feet, she rushed toward the door, stopping only to grab Nunnally and carry her off like luggage. She shouted back, "I trust you to take care of the rest! Thanks!" as she sped off down the corridor to the sound of Nunnally's giggling.

After a few corners, breathing heavily, Kallen set Nunnally back down onto her feet. "Whew. Hold on a sec." Kallen took one last deep breath. "You're still a bunch of twigs in the shape of a girl, but you're a lot heavier than you used to be."

"And a couple feet taller."

"Yeah, that would do it. Now do you actually need help, or was that just a clever ploy to save me?"

"Mostly the former," Nunnally said, and so away they went.

The pair found a cosy space in the library together. Kallen spent the next hour or so tutoring Nunnally in mathematics and getting distracted by the adorable adolescent cat in their midst. Somewhere in the middle of the study session, Lelouch let her know he was finally on his way home.

As they were reviewing some of the more obscure aspects of conics, Lelouch appeared in the library. He and Nunnally exchanged a welcome back hug, and Kallen pulled him down into her chair to extract an abbreviated snog from him.

"Urgh. That is so weird."

Kallen grinned at Nunnally. "Oh, yes. Boys are icky."

Lelouch snorted and shoved her over to make space for himself. With the property now vacated, Arthur hopped back into Kallen's lap and reclaimed it as his own. He then butted his head against her until she started petting him. A steady purr filled the background as she did.

"It's not that." Nunnally looked between the two of them. "It's like watching my brother and my sister kiss."

"I see I'm welcome to the family," Kallen dryly observed. "Although I don't see the problem. I do recall you once–"

Flushed and embarrassed, Nunnally spoke over Kallen. "Please stop talking. I'll get used to it eventually."

"So what are we working on?" Lelouch paged through the textbook on the table. "From the look of things, I'd guess the second year of algebra. I wasn't aware you were so far ahead."

Indeed, that had tripped Kallen up at first as well. "Ashford teaches geometry after both algebras," she offered by way of explanation.

"Ah. Well, do catch me up."

The reviewing went well, but it wasn't too long later when Nunnally excused herself to get something to eat. Now alone, Lelouch leaned into Kallen for a chaste kiss and displaced Arthur in the process. The latter meowed in protest and pawed at her, but she only paid him enough attention for a brief pet and then shooed him away by the rear.

"What?" Kallen said to the odd look on Lelouch's face.

A more pronounced frown grew on him. "That cat really likes you."

"So?"

"I'm just wondering what you'll do if you smother it to death with affection."

"Oh." There was that. Kallen released a small sigh and snuggled into her lover. "Probably cry for hours and never own a pet again."

Lelouch gave Kallen a worried look.

"I'm procrastinating. It's not hard to convince myself that I should love and dote on him more and more. It would be terrible to waste all this time and effort. Surely, I need to make sure it's enough. Surely, a little more, a little longer, wouldn't hurt."

Taking the hint, Lelouch asked, "You don't think your geass will work on Arthur?"

"Yeah. At first, it was how Anne described geass that made me suspect. 'All _humans_ are connected'. It finally percolated through my mind a few months after she said it. I asked her, and she apparently asked around the magical community, but she couldn't give me a definitive answer. It might work. It might not. You can't fool a tiger with an illusion, but you can tell if it's about to maul you to death." Rather hastily, Kallen added, "Not speaking from personal experience, of course."

Lelouch hummed as he extrapolated the logic out to its conclusion. "So it would depend on if your geass pulls information from the subject or from some independent observer."

"I suspect it's the former. If I try, I imagine all I'll have in the end is disappointment, regret, and a dead cat."

"Well, I won't blame you if you don't want to make the attempt. I can't fault the reasoning behind the decision."

Kallen leaned over and gave Lelouch a kiss on the cheek in thanks for not pushing the matter.

"We're both going to look like fools if we're wrong, though."

With a grin, Kallen rolled herself over Lelouch's legs to straddle him. "I can handle that." Her hands found his, and she entwined their fingers. "So what did dear old Dad want?"

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
** **Pendragon, Britannia  
** **June 16, 2017 a.t.b.**

Lelouch arrived at the Imperial Palace less than an hour after word of the emperor's summons had reached him. Questioning a few attendants scurrying through the corridors gave him a destination. As court was currently in session, he headed there to make his arrival known. Once the emperor spotted him in the crowd, he received a small nod of acknowledgement and resigned himself to waiting with Jeremiah at the edge of the proceedings.

Nearly another hour passed before the emperor finally dissolved court. As he left, his path took him past Lelouch. He delivered a short, "Come," and paused not even a moment in his stride. Whispers immediately surged through the crowd as Lelouch fell into step beside the emperor.

For a man who Lelouch _knew_ did everything with a purpose and chose his words very carefully, that had been a very public prelude to a private meeting. He had to wonder exactly what message the emperor was trying to send with it.

The pair retreated to the council chambers as they had upon their last meeting. The emperor instructed Lelouch to be seated while he retrieved what Lelouch suspected to be a folded map or, failing that, a blueprint.

"What do you know about Schneizel's latest scheme?"

Lelouch arched an eyebrow. "There are so many, but I imagine I would understand exactly what you meant if I were aware of it. So nothing."

"Hmph. So your spies have yet to penetrate my government too deeply. Good. I won't have to investigate and oust incompetents."

As it was no longer any secret that the Shinozaki worked for him, if it ever had been for the emperor, Lelouch took the comment at face value. Everyone knew he had spies.

"Tell me what your opinion of the Chinese Federation is."

 _So whatever Schneizel is up to involves the Federation?_ Given what he knew of his brother, Lelouch doubted Schneizel had a war in the works. He suspected some upcoming diplomatic coup. Regardless, he answered the question posed to him. "Nothing favourable. It has the surface appearance of a welfare state, but when the veneer of equality is peeled away, one discovers a government pulled right out of _Romance of the Three Kingdoms_. If it's current empress doesn't step up upon her majority or they don't make some major changes, China is liable to break. Again." That was a bit of a recurring theme throughout history.

"Sooner than you think," the emperor said, bringing Lelouch up short. He explained, "Schneizel has discovered the corruptibility of the eunuchs. He's in the process of buying the Federation from them."

Lelouch sat stunned for a good quarter of a minute as he tried to process the claim. A betrayal of that sheer magnitude was unprecedented in history. Once he had, furious, he said, "They would outright _sell their sovereignty_! What could we possibly offer them that they couldn't procure themselves?" The Chinese Federation was one of the three major powers in the world. It defied all logic.

A grunt of agreement came from the emperor. "Nonetheless, Schneizel is making steady progress."

"Geass?" It was the only explanation Lelouch could wrap his head around.

The emperor, however, merely replied, "A silver tongue."

"Madness."

"Quite. I want you to ruin the negotiations."

Flabbergasted for the second time already, Lelouch's lips parted as he tried and failed to find words.

"Use whatever means you desire, but be subtle about it if you don't want to force me to disown you."

Lelouch pulled himself together. "As you wish, Your Majesty. But might I ask why? It's not to prevent Schneizel from becoming too powerful, I imagine." It was the only somewhat legitimate reason which had so far come to mind and happened to coincide nicely with his own plans.

"You and I both know there are ways to control Schneizel which he cannot resist, unaware of the dangers as he is."

 _Ah. Yes. Magic._

"In short," the emperor continued, "absorbing the Chinese Federation would be too large of a distraction over the next several years for my plans."

The emperor unfolded the paper he'd retrieved earlier to reveal a map of the world. Eight locations were marked upon it. Britannia controlled five of them, including the pair in the Homeland and the Caribbean, but the two in Siberia and Japan were more recent additions. And, as Lelouch recalled, the one in Antarctica was in territory annexed near the beginning of the emperor's reign. Cornelia had shifted from her campaign in Africa to the Middle East, both of which contained another marked location. The last, ironically and worryingly, was in the Britannian Isles right atop King Alwin's long abandoned capital city under the firm control of the EU.

This shed an entirely new light on the emperor's extraordinarily aggressive expansionism.

Taking the emperor's remark about directness upon their last meeting to heart, Lelouch asked, "What's special about these places that you're waging war over them?"

"There are geass ruins at each site." That explained so much and yet so little. "Which, incidentally, is why I am loath to command Schneizel to abandon his plans. I do not need my entire government wondering why I'm uninterested in such a coup nor that curiosity spilling out into the public."

"Understood." Lelouch didn't want that either. The last thing he needed was Schneizel stumbling upon magic. "I doubt I need to ask, but they're not just crumbling piles of stone, correct?"

"Indeed not. For those who can read the language therein, they contain enough information to make Clovis and his experiments look like a child dabbling in potato batteries."

As he stared at the map, Lelouch arched an eyebrow. _A little hypocritical, all things considered, but interesting nonetheless._ For now, he set aside the business of magic and ethics for politics lest he push too far too soon. He'd have to spare some time to think about what this meant for foreign policy in the coming years, but for now, he asked, "What can you tell me about the negotiations so far?"

* * *

 **Aries Palace  
** **Pendragon Countryside, Britannia  
** **June 16, 2017 a.t.b.**

"So what did dear old Dad want?" Kallen asked as she played with Lelouch's fingers. It seemed rather distracting for him, although as amusing as that was, she doubted its necessity. Even considering Nunnally's presence at the time, he'd returned home without any particular signs of displeasure.

"He wants me to put Schneizel in his place."

Kallen leaned back in surprise. "Really?"

"Not in so many words, but that's what it comes down to." Lelouch quickly summarised his meeting with the emperor.

"I don't suppose he mentioned exactly what information these geass ruins hold, did he?"

Lelouch shook his head. "No, but I did memorise the map. I wrote down the locations afterwards."

"They're probably not safe for tourists to visit."

"Neither was Russia."

Kallen grinned. She'd always wanted to try her hand at raiding an archaeological site. How adventurous. They'd have to befriend a linguist and a cryptanalyst to decipher whatever they found. "Do you get the sense that the emperor is using your curiosity against you?"

"Oh, definitely," Lelouch replied. "Man's most predictable nature."

Now that was simply not true. "Second most, perhaps." Kallen pushed Lelouch down onto his back and enjoyed a proper snog. Once she'd proven her point, she shifted atop her lover to settle into a slightly more comfortable position. "So," she began, "we're to be married. Immediately after that, we're to go ruin someone else's marriage?"

A chuckle escaped Lelouch, one Kallen felt by the rise and fall of his chest more than heard. "I highly doubt either Empress Tianzi or Odysseus is as enthused about their hypothetical nuptials as we are. If they're even yet aware of them."

"You sure? Odysseus has had a _long_ time to marry. Maybe he's been waiting for this."

Lelouch rolled his eyes at the joke and didn't deign to otherwise address the idea. Instead, he said, "It looks like we're going to have a working honeymoon. But a long one, if that's of any consolation."

"I can live with that. And I think we both know who we can reach out to first for help."

* * *

 **Paris, France  
** **June 17, 2017 a.t.b.**

Leila's phone vibrated with an incoming email. She ignored it until the end of class, but when she eventually checked it, she scowled. It was from the prince. The subject read simply as 'Invitation'. Anna looked on in interest from the seat next to her. Perhaps against good sense, she opened it to reply directly.

'Dear Huntress, you are cordially invited to the marriage of His Imperial Highness Prince Odysseus, First Prince of the Realm, and Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Tianzi.'

 _What! No!_ Leila hurriedly reread the names with a growing dread. _How is this the first I've heard of this disaster?_ She quickly scanned the rest of the message hoping to discover this was a prank.

Alas, Leila read, 'The date has yet to be set as the negotiations are still ongoing, but I'm of the opinion that the more advance notice the better in case anyone else would like to lay claim to one of the couple's hearts. What's the phrase you use during marriages in the EU? Should anyone know of any reason this couple should not be joined in matrimony, she should really speak now or forever hold her peace?'

Leila set down her phone and placed her head between her hands. Prince Odysseus was over thirty while the Tianzi had yet to enter her teens. Nevermind the disgusting implications, the age difference clearly made this a political marriage. The two had probably never even met! _I have to do something before it's too late. This would change_ everything _. Britannia absorbing the Chinese Federation without a fight would make it unstoppable._

It hit Leila the very next moment. She reread the email and paid attention to its exact wording. _The prince is_ asking _me to interfere. Why? That doesn't make any sense. Unless… One of his major rivals for the throne must be behind this scheme._ She doubted he'd much care otherwise. He'd had no problem conquering all of Siberia, after all.

"Damn you," Leila swore under her breath. _Of course_ the prince had pushed her into a position where she _had_ to act in his interests even as she worked against Britannia as a whole. That was so bloody typical.

"Oh dear. We don't get out of school until the seventh."

"What?" Leila looked to Anna, but her friend just pointed back to her phone. Looking back at it, she noticed a postscript.

'P.S. If you haven't heard yet, Kallen and I are set to be married on July 7th. We apologise if you normally celebrate Tanabata with Ayano and for the late notice, but please RSVP if you wish to attend.'

Leila let out an exasperated sigh. " _That's_ your reaction to this?"

"Yes?" Anna replied innocently. "Should I not assume you'll take care of the rest?"

"Well…no." Leila turned her attention back to the email. _I probably shouldn't forward this to Gene directly and risk it getting out into the public. The last thing I need is the prince throwing his own weight behind the marriage to preserve his reputation or just out of spite._

Leila created a new message and set to work.

* * *

 **A/N:** And thus ends R1. Kallen and Lelouch have made a name for themselves. Naoto continues his struggle on behalf of a dying culture. Euphemia rules Area Eleven with Marrybell as her adviser and chief enforcer. Leila has forced her way onto the world stage. The emperor's plans quietly progress in the background. Each in their own way wishes to make the world a better place, but sometimes people have incompatible visions for the future. Love and marriage abound, although no one ever said one necessarily has anything to do with the other. Join us next time for the celebrations. R2 looms.

* * *

Wow, it's so good to see R1 finally finished. My shipping reflex is satisfied. I got to write some cool battles and strategies. I've started to delve deeper into the sadly neglected supernatural aspects of the _Code Geass_ world. Yep. This was a triumph. More than that, I'm surprised and happy to see that the _Code Geass_ community is still alive enough over ten years since the series's original run to have as many readers as I do. _Code Geass_ is still my favorite anime and is easily one of my favorite works of fiction.

Anyway, the first stage of R2 I imagine will be titled _A Royal Wedding_ , although that's liable to change. I need to do _a lot_ of outlining to get R2 up and running. I doubt I'll binge through the rather lengthy source material, but I at least need to brush up on my knowledge of _Romance of the Three Kingdoms_ as well. And just Far Eastern history in general, to be honest. That all might take a while, but hey, every mistake I make I can just claim is part of the alternate history.

* * *

Thanks go out to Baerwald for performing the French equivalent of Brit picking for me. Redderthanred31 has been oddly silent but might chime in in the near future.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	29. R2 S25 - A Royal Wedding

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round Two  
Stage 25 - A Royal Wedding

 **Imperial Palace  
** **Pendragon, Britannia  
** **July 7, 2017 a.t.b.**

Of all the bad ideas his sister had talked him into over the course of her life, this one had to be the worst of the lot. Worse was that she'd talked him into bringing Naomi as his plus one. And then there was their grandmother, of course. _She_ wandered about without anyone he could see watching over her but himself and rubbed shoulders with people she had absolutely no business even meeting. Was that the Knight of One and the Knight of Four she'd just engaged in conversation?

Naoto scanned the crowd and consoled himself with the sea of faces. No doubt intentionally, it was a rather eclectic bunch that comprised Kallen and Lelouch's personal guest list. They spanned all ages and every background from powerful empresses to servants and even lowly numbers. He even spotted some tall blonde aristocrat with a Japanese woman hanging off his arm. The only people missing were their cousin and that Breisgau girl from the war in Russia. And if rumour were to be believed, she, too, had been invited.

Well, Marrybell and her circle of friends were absent as well, but that was another matter entirely. Putting her and the emperor in the same room – or garden, as it were; Exelica Garden, specifically, where imperial weddings were traditionally held – would ruin the occasion. They'd still be watching, of course, just from Japan.

"Oh, it's you." Naoto turned to a pair of young girls Nunnally's age. He had a vague recollection of having met the amber-haired one who'd spoken, though he could not recall when or where. "Aren't you Marrybell's friend?"

"Sort of…" It was as honest an answer as Naoto could give. He had no idea exactly where he and the princess stood with each other. Regardless, he knew the true intent of the question. "We met through Kallen and Lelouch."

The suspicion remained, but the two girls toned it down significantly. "How did you meet the royal couple?" Perhaps not the acute awareness of the delta in their social standing, however.

Nonetheless, Naoto answered the blonde. "I tutored Kallen while she was living in Japan before the war. She introduced me to Lelouch years later." Horribly misleading, yes, but still true.

"And you?"

Naomi, uneasy in her current surroundings, scrambled for the response they'd rehearsed in advance. "A job interview. Countess Stadtfeld considered putting Naoto in charge of her colonial estates, but he declined in favour of charitable work. We met briefly then."

Naoto winced internally at the badly accented answer and carefully kept from reacting when the younger girl eyed him like a puzzle, her curiosity now aroused. The stark contrast between his accent and his girlfriend's only highlighted his own's origin. He could see the question running through the girl's mind. Why did he sound like nobility? It was, unfortunately, something to which Britannians paid an inordinate amount of attention, often even without conscious recognition, a quick social sieve to sort people according to their class.

 _If only I had any skill at faking an accent…_

Naoto sighed to himself. This was going to be a long day. Still, a small smile crept back onto his face. His sister was happy. That was what mattered for now.

* * *

 _History repeats itself._ Ruben held up a goblet of wine in a solitary toast to the happy couple who'd become his family's patrons. He silently nursed it as he gazed out the window, watching pensively as the final preparations for the ceremony were put into place. _You would be so proud of them. Lelouch takes after his father in all the best ways, and you made a huge impression upon Kallen._

It was in these quiet moments that Ruben missed Marianne the most. She'd been such a boisterous child once she'd gained a little stability in her life. Incredibly paranoid, yes, but far and away worth all the trouble. He loved his children dearly, but none of them had ever possessed the same electric magnetism.

Behind him, Ruben heard the door open. He glanced away from the window to see a pair of women at the entrance to the room. He recognised the one in the lead as Elizabeth Ward, or rather Anne the OSI agent. In contrast to her time at Ashford, she wore her hair up and had donned a long but light, earthy bronze dress that matched her eyes. Clearly, she was here for the wedding.

Behind Anne stood a woman who Ruben had long thought dead. Lelouch had informed him to the contrary, but seeing was believing. She, too, had dressed for the occasion. The maid cap still sat atop her head, however.

"Sayoko." There was no question that it was her even before, but she did react to the name. "It's wonderful to see you hale and hearty."

The woman in question bowed low in apology. "Likewise, Lord Ashford. Please forgive my extended leave of absence."

"Nonsense." Ruben waved the very thought away. "I'm sure whatever Marianne had you doing was important. It's enough that you're alive. Join me for a drink?" After a moment to remember his manners, he added to Anne, "You may join us as well, if you'd like."

Sayoko looked to Anne, who checked the time. "We don't need to be in place for another hour. A drink would do us both some good, I think."

As the two women pulled up seats and moved to join him, Ruben poured another pair of glasses. He considered his own for a moment before then deciding to refill it.

"To the prince and the princess."

Anne smirked and raised her glass to Ruben's. "To the countess and her earl. Let's not pretend the prince is anymore immune to his consort's charms than his father still is to his mother's."

Ruben laughed as Sayoko joined the toast. "To the vi Britannias," she said simply. "By whatever names they adopt."

They all drank.

For who knew how long, the three got lost in conversation. There was little Sayoko could tell Ruben about where she'd been and what she'd been doing, but it apparently involved protecting Marianne's family. That was enough for him. He, in turn, updated her on the details of what had happened over the past eight years, something which also _clearly_ captured Anne's interest.

After some time, Anne began to fidget. When called out on it, she said, "Ruben, could I ask you for some…fatherly advice?"

"I don't see why not." He wasn't so crass as to question why she was asking him instead of her own father.

"My situation is…complicated. Very simplified, I had to go deep undercover for a long time. Because of that, everyone believes I'm dead, including my family. There were…severe consequences to faking my death."

Ruben frowned. Anne could barely be a year or two older than Lelouch at most. The emperor asked far too much of children. He'd said as much to Marianne when she'd first entered into his service. Not that the warning ever seemed to deter anyone.

"Recently, some intelligence leaked that made every legitimate reason for me to keep my distance pointless. But now that I can, I don't know how to, well, rip the bandage off. Or if I even should."

"Do you want to stay away from them?" Given her age and when she must have joined the OSI, Ruben considered it a prudent question. He'd seen more than one child with a less than happy family life run away from home and fall under Marianne's command.

But Anne denied that profusely. "You have no idea how much I've missed them. How much I've missed."

"Then you should tell them."

"As I told her," Sayoko commented, earning a glare from the woman beside her. "Perhaps she'll listen to you."

Anne demurred. "It's not that simple, you two. Even if I told them, I can't – the world can't know I survived. I couldn't _be me_ with them around _anyone_ not in the know."

"I won't lie and pretend that wouldn't be frustrating," Ruben began, "but I find it hard to believe an OSI agent would balk at a little undercover work amongst friends." He pinned Anne with a knowing, sceptical look but said nothing more against the excuse. Not yet.

She turned away.

"Are you worried about how they will react?"

After failing to outlast both Ruben and Sayoko in a game of silence, Anne replied, "How would you feel if Marianne were to waltz right in through the door?"

"Ecstatic. Perhaps also upset over the deception, but the feeling would pass." There were few limits to what Ruben would do to have his unofficial only daughter returned to him. Alas, unlike Sayoko, her death was beyond doubt. They had the body.

Anne, however, remained doubtful of his sincerity. "You lost your title because of her. Your livelihood. _Ashfordshire_."

"My family endured. Even had we not…" Ruben shrugged. Marianne had never done wrong by them. If she'd needed to so thoroughly fake her death, he trusted that it was not without reason. "I loved that girl with all my heart. I'm sure your family loves you as well."

"I know they love me _right now_ , but–"

A new voice interrupted Anne. It's owner was a young woman, barely an adult, with bright green hair and an impatient expression. "Where's the giant pizza?"

Anne let out an exasperated sigh. She excused herself, rose, and went to speak with the newcomer. "Wait for the wedding feast," she said as she pulled the other woman toward the door. "It'll be held tonight in New York City. We're both invited."

"Hmm… They'll know I'm there."

"Not necessarily, but…" Anne apparently realised something as she said, "Oh. I see." Now outside the door in the palace corridor, Ruben could barely overhear the conversation. "C.C., I… I don't think I can fulfil our contract anymore. I don't know what would happen if I tried. But they know now, and it's not likely Charles is going to take the little troll's code himself. If they're together…"

Ruben knew he'd missed most of the context necessary to understand that conversation but paid it no mind. The two women seemed to have reached an agreement of some sort and parted ways. Anne stood at the door and watched C.C., he presumed, vanish down the corridor. Soon enough, however, she returned to her seat.

"Sorry about that, you two."

"No apologies necessary," Ruben said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now I believe we've reached the point in our conversation where I can only offer you some simple advice: take the risk. You're obviously unhappy with the status quo, and the only way to change it is to move forward and 'rip off the bandage' as you put it."

"I see…" Anne looked down into her lap, visibly conflicted. Her thoughts showed so clearly in the expressions she made as she tried to talk herself out of what she so obviously wanted. But, as Ruben happily deduced, she made the correct decision in the end. Her eyes rose up and met his own. She offered him a wan smile. "Once the happy couple are off on their honeymoon, would you listen to this poor ghost's story in more depth?"

"If you'd like," Ruben replied. "You are one of my students, after all."

A roll of the eyes met the claim. Technically speaking, Anne _had_ left the academy, but the point remained nonetheless.

* * *

 **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11  
** **July 7, 2017 a.t.b.**

Like the vast majority of the empire and perhaps even beyond its borders, Marrybell had the live footage of Lelouch and Kallen's wedding up and running. At her left and right were Suzaku and Oldrin. Indeed, most of her household had gathered in the parlour with her to watch the ceremony; the royal and noble house guests she brought around, including the happy couple, were well liked.

From the cellar, bottles upon bottles of mead and sake had been unearthed for the occasion and spread amongst the staff. Inhibitions were lowered. Song filled the air. Oldrin, no longer entirely sober, had climbed into Marrybell's lap and leaned into the crook of her neck. As no one here would talk, she'd happily reciprocated and rested her own head atop Oldrin's.

Marrybell breathed deep, contented.

"You sure you won't regret not going?" Suzaku asked.

Below, Oldrin giggled, and how pleasantly odd that felt. "Marrybell within stabbing distance of the emperor? That would end well."

"Doesn't he rarely show at these sorts of things?"

Too comfortable and relaxed, Marrybell barely mustered the energy to reply, "He pays attention to Lelouch." She didn't know if the emperor wanted a counterbalance to Schneizel or if, despite their differing politics, Lelouch was just his favourite son as Marianne had been his favourite wife. Perhaps it was something else. Right now, she couldn't be bothered to care.

"Ooh! There's Euphemia. Those are the Ashford kids she's with, right?"

Marrybell glanced up at the television and hummed, "Mm-hmm." The view slowly panned across the crowd, inadvertently revealing a smaller princess hidden behind Shirley. "Nunnally, too." _Interesting that Laila, at least, and Gabrielle aren't with them. Perhaps those two are with Euphemia's mother. Well,_ if _Victoria got an invite._ Lelouch and Kallen did have a very unconventional – scandalous, even – guest list for a royal wedding. It somewhat surprised her that those two were getting away with it.

The news coverage swapped to details of the wedding feast, partially open to the public, held in the bride's 'home city'. Oldrin let out a cry of surprise with perhaps a tinge of disappointment. She asked, "They're making the world's largest pizza in Central Park! How is this the first I've heard of it?"

A chuckle escaped Marrybell. She'd heard from Euphemia that Milly had wanted to make a giant pizza for the longest time. It seemed she'd gotten her wish on an even larger scale than she'd imagined. "Sorry we can't go," Marrybell mumbled to Oldrin. Regardless of the emperor's possible presence, setting foot in the homeland was a very bad idea without an army at her back. Too many people with too much power there disliked her too intensely. "We'll try to catch the next one at Ashford."

"Wait." Suzaku wore an incredulous expression. "Milly was serious about making one there?"

Marrybell shrugged. Knowing that girl, her _intention_ could not be mistaken. Logistics, however, not will, posed the greater challenge to overcome. Thus it was more a question of would she succeed rather than would she try.

"Is Ashford's population even big enough to eat it all?"

"Maybe if it only had a ten foot radius," Oldrin offered.

That was still an enormous pizza easily able to feed every last person on campus.

In the crowd, Marrybell overheard Akane say, "It's starting."

And indeed, when Marrybell turned her attention back to the television, the crowd in Exelica Garden had finally moved to their places. Lelouch waited at the centre of the great rings of friends and family. Other guests stood farther off to watch with more casual palace residents clambering for a view in the distance.

Many of the faces Marrybell recognised, although not all. The emperor had chosen to attend, as she'd expected. Schneizel was there as well with Earl Maldini, his aide. The hotchpotch of people Lelouch and Kallen called their family stood together in one more or less contiguous group. She snickered when she saw Naoto standing behind Milly and who she presumed was his grandmother while trying not to attract attention. She wondered how he intended to explain his presence there to his little organisation.

Most of the Knights of the Round were present, including the new Knight of Twelve, Monica Krushevsky. The Knight of Nine had broken off from them to stand with Jeremiah, Sir Guilford, General Darlton, and the man's adoptive sons.

 _Oh, now that's interesting._ Of little surprise, Anne had a place in the circle. Oddly, she'd secured a position next to the emperor. Unusual, but she did work for the man in some manner, so they probably knew each other. On her other side, however, stood the ever elusive C.C. and Sayoko. The other Shinozaki in the crowd had obviously noticed, as had Lelouch. No one moved from their places with the ceremony about to begin, but significant glances had been exchanged between all parties.

"Who is that officiating?" Suzaku asked. It came as no surprise that he didn't recognise the face. He might perhaps not even know the name. But he would certainly know the man by title.

* * *

 **Imperial Palace  
** **Pendragon, Britannia  
** **July 7, 2017 a.t.b.**

The lush grass of Exelica Garden felt wonderful beneath bare feet. Lelouch rolled his toes about and enjoyed the soft, tickling sensation. A peculiar sense of pride bubbled underneath all the other emotions fighting for dominance. He was eager, yes. Excited. Happy. Even a little nervous, to his great surprise. It was only Kallen we was about to wed, after all.

But then it was _Kallen_ he was about to wed, possibly _the_ most desirable woman in the empire. She could have anyone she wanted, and if the last couple months were anything to judge by, she wanted him and demonstrated no hesitation in proving it. Honestly, she was becoming a bit of an addiction, he feared. He couldn't find a more fitting description for his bride than the one he'd given Marrybell: passion and fire given human form. How could he resist when she came calling? Alas, his cruel fate.

As he waited for Cornelia to arrive with his bride in tow, Lelouch turned to the berobed man who would officiate the ceremony. As both a lord in his own right and the emperor's knight, he had more than enough authority to do so. When Lelouch had suggested him, Kallen had immediately agreed. It was only fitting that the man who'd paid attention to two little children and given them their start should be the one to grant them another beginning.

"Thank you again for agreeing to this."

Lord Manfredi, the Knight of Two, chuckled. "Again, I say it's an honour. But it's not like you, Your Highness, to repeat yourself so. Nervous?"

"Nonsense," Lelouch casually replied. "I'm about to marry my knight, my lover, and my best friend. What is there to worry about?"

"Nothing whatsoever, but in my experience, that makes little difference. For what it's worth, the anxiety will vanish the moment you lay eyes on her."

Lelouch offered Lord Manfredi a thankful smile. "As you say." It was at that moment he spotted two unexpected invited guests standing with Anne next to the emperor. When he met their eyes, Sayoko smiled warmly and bowed to him. C.C. just quirked an eyebrow at his staring. A quick glance at Shinobu proved that she'd long since noticed her cousin's return.

With a deep breath, Lelouch pushed down the initial impulse to ruin his own wedding – in all likelihood the only one he'd ever have – and stayed put. There would be time to speak with those two later. Indeed, if they were here because his bribing C.C. had borne fruit, they would seek him out on their own. If not and if all else failed, he could contact them through Anne.

But such concerns soon vanished from his mind entirely. To much fanfare, the bride had finally arrived. The circle parted before her to permit her entrance. Voices raised in song to welcome her as she strode forward, a gorgeous streak of emerald dress and azure cloak against the muted colours surrounding her. Her hair she'd braided up into an intricate style of infinite complexity he'd spend hours untangling tonight. The one concession she'd made to her general disdain for jewellery was the glittering tiara nestled atop her head.

In the back of his mind, far from conscious thought, Lelouch acknowledged that Cornelia had delivered Kallen to him and went off to stand between Nonette and Gilbert, her own knight.

Kallen smirked, eyes alight with mirth and merriment, and poked his toes with her own, thus bringing Lelouch back to reality. "You look gorgeous," he said plainly. No need to gild the lily.

"You look very handsome yourself." Kallen held out her hand, which Lelouch took with his own. Once he had, they turned together to Lord Manfredi. "Shall we?"

As Lord Manfredi raised his hand, the whispers of the crowd fell silent.

"Prince Lelouch, Countess Stadtfeld, your family, your friends, your empire has congregated today to witness your exchange of vows and to share in the joy of your union. Let this ceremony be a declaration of what you mean to each other and to the commitment you will make."

With the preamble finished, Kallen's grip on Lelouch's hand tightened ever so slightly as she shifted imperceptibly closer but for the slight pull between them. He returned the gesture.

"Love is a precious gift rarely given and more valuable than any other. It is love that carries us onward through every hardship. It is love that drives us to the highest peaks in its fulfilment and the lowest valleys in its privation. It is love that binds us and strengthens us. Love is not something to deny. Love is not something to be suppressed. Love is to be nurtured and celebrated in its expression.

"Love is life's most frustrating, complex, yet rewarding mystery. It surprises in its rarity, delights in its depth, and perplexes in its inconsistency. Although it would be a pleasant fantasy, we do not love someone in the same way at every moment. Our affections ebb and flow with circumstance, never twice the same. Yet love, true love, endures. An unbroken bond, however tested, throughout all of life's hardships."

Lord Manfredi paused a moment to deliver a warm smile. With it, without words, he gave his approval. He knew the couple before him had already undergone enough tests in their years together.

"Your Highness, My Lady, although life has, by chance, created the bond between you, it is you who shall forge and temper it. It is you who shall decide its form and function. Matrimony is but one of many ways it might evolve. Should you seek to enter into this blessed union, this dream within a dream, you should strive to make real its intent. To honour and care for each other as you would yourself. To be stronger together than apart.

"Know that within this circle, you speak before all of your friends and family standing as witness to your declaration. The vows you make today will redefine and enrich not only yourselves but also all those who you call your own. Knowing this, do you seek to continue this ceremony?"

Together, Kallen and Lelouch both agreed. Not needing any prompting, they turned to each other and clasped hands. Right in right. Left in left. Their eyes met, clear blue and royal violet, and remained locked together. The elation he saw shining in Kallen's he knew mirrored his own.

From his robe, Lord Manfredi withdrew a cord of black and red. He wrapped it loosely around their hands once, twice, and then finally tied the knot beneath.

"These are the hands which will hold you."

The memory of an exhausted Kallen collapsing into Lelouch's arms after fleeing her home came to mind. Those small moments when he just needed to forget. The night when she'd admitted to her geass's permanent activation.

"These are the hands which will love you."

There were certainly many recent examples of that, but Lelouch had a feeling Lord Manfredi meant something a little less carnal. Of course, the light tint to Kallen's cheeks told him that her thoughts had followed a similar progression.

"These are the hands which will comfort you."

Kallen, Lelouch knew, did have a way of soothing his more turbulent moods, at times even with something as simple as a gentle touch. Life was not all bad so long as she was there.

"In these hands lies the making or the breaking of this union. May they be blessed from this day forth."

With an unobtrusive shift of their hands in preparation for what was to come, Kallen slipped her pinkie between Lelouch's fingers to wrap around his own. She grinned at him as she evoked the memory of a much older promise they'd made to each other.

"Countess Stadtfeld, your vow." Untraditional as it was for them to give their own vows, Kallen had insisted, and Lelouch had felt it appropriate. Besides, much of the standard fare was redundant or unnecessary between them.

Kallen wet her lips and then silently tested her voice. Once so prepared, she began. "Lelouch, I have sworn you more oaths than I care to count, but we both know which one truly mattered. I will be your accomplice wherever life takes you. No matter how bad, no matter how far apart, I will support you as best as I can. I suspected, as such, we would someday be lovers, or perhaps merely wanted it, but you asked me to be your bride. I will. I will be your wife, and I take you as my husband."

"Prince Lelouch, your vow."

The words came easy. "Kallen, I have sworn you only one oath, but I could not imagine another of greater meaning. I will stand with you wherever life takes you. Your wishes are my wishes. As your accomplice, I will see them fulfilled, whatever they may be. For years, I hoped those wishes would include me. I made every effort to ensure you would answer me honestly and without obligation. To my delight, you agreed to be my bride. I will be your husband, and I take you as my wife."

With the vows finished, Lord Manfredi spoke once more. "And thus the bond is made." With a gentle tug, he unknotted the cord tying Lelouch's and Kallen's hands together. For now, he returned it to the confines of his robe. "By the power vested in me by the state and having witnessed your vows, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may seal your marriage with a kiss."

They wasted no time. Kallen threw her arms around his neck, and Lelouch gathered her into his own. She rose with practised ease as he leaned down to meet her lips. To the sounds of applause and cheers, it was done.

* * *

 **Central Park  
** **New York City, Britannia  
** **July 7, 2017 a.t.b.**

As a young girl, Kallen had never really developed a coherent idea of what she wanted her wedding to be like. The strange mismatch of Japanese, European, and Britannian influences on the institution in Japan had predisposed her to few things. Besides, she'd held little interest in the idea anyway.

Over her years as a countess, those rare and idle thoughts had solidified. There would be a ceremony in a circle, not a great aisle. There would be none of that nonsense about white dresses that had infected Europe over the last century and a half. She'd not likely have a ring, although she did plan to keep the black cords from her hand fasting which she'd wound into a bracelet. Her husband – an infinitely better and more preferable man than she'd expected – wore the red ones.

And then there would be the wedding feast. Over a hundred years ago, those were lavish public affairs whenever a lord or lady married. There would be food, song, and dancing. And alcohol, naturally. All involved would mingle not as equals but more freely than at any other time.

Of course, then the world's population exploded. Feeding tens of thousands – sometimes hundreds of thousands or even millions – was no simple task. With the rapid progress of technology, security became all the more important. Wedding feasts became private events, and that traditional connection between subject and ruler broke.

But Kallen was an absurdly wealthy seeress and had perhaps the world's most eccentric wedding planner on retainer. She'd never once imagined participating in the baking of the world's largest pizza meant for millions in her wedding dress. It was a show, really, a grand performance at Lelouch's suggestion and Milly's eager orchestration. Aside from all of his calculations – although it, too, likely factored into them – this was Kallen's chance to show the city that she wouldn't be abandoning them despite having married into the imperial family.

Beneath it all, however, Kallen would be a liar if she said she wasn't having fun or enjoying the attention. Milly's excited commentary over the loudspeakers only encouraged her.

After an hour of streamlined work with the dough having been prepared and rolled out in advance over nearly a day, the last of the sauce and cheese had been distributed. Kallen stowed the Ashford's Ganymede in its trailer and observed the final components of the oven fall into place. If they hoped to have this monster baked and ready to eat by tonight, they needed to get started. There was, sadly, a limit to how much they could speed the process along by throwing money at it.

As Kallen made her way back to her husband – and how that thought sent a thrill through her – she ran into, of all people, the elusive C.C.. The woman had a plate clutched between both hands and an almost predatory look in her eyes.

Kallen couldn't help but laugh as she approached. "I trust I've repaid my debt for the story."

"You have. Well done." A simple response for one so obviously invested in the payment. After a moment to ponder something, C.C. reached out and grasped Kallen's arm. From beneath the fringe of her hair, a bright light shone.

Old memories forced their way to the front of Kallen's mind in a jumbled tangle. If felt like someone took a rake to them as they sorted themselves out and grew increasingly narrow in focus. Eventually, only the very first assassination attempt she'd survived and its aftermath remained.

Except it was different now. She and Lelouch had both been there, and she'd certainly delivered the killing blow to their assailant, but for the life of her she couldn't understand her own actions, let alone Lelouch's. They'd just stood there as the man had–

 _Oh. Geass._

Left with two versions of the same day in her mind, Kallen staggered back and put a hand to her head. That hadn't been a pleasant experience. As she recovered, she contemplated the memories. They both felt real, yet without even thinking about it, her mind instinctively marked which one was not.

"For the pizza," C.C. said. "You went above and beyond."

"Thanks." _I guess._ Kallen blinked a few times to try to get herself back to normal. A shake of the head helped as well. "What exactly did you do?"

"I forced you to relive your sealed memories."

 _Right…_ "Who–" Even as she asked the question, Kallen answered it herself. She recalled the emperor had appeared at Aries Villa. He'd spoken with her and Lelouch together, and that had been that. "The emperor can block – no, alter memories?" _Marrybell is going to freak._

"Not exactly, but close enough."

 _Fantastic. At least it seems like he needs eye contact._ Kallen did remember the emperor had specifically asked her and Lelouch to look at him. "Is he one of your contractors?"

"No."

 _Good. Unless he asked her to lie…_ Kallen did recall what Anne had said about C.C. keeping her contractor's secrets. _But then she just revealed the emperor's geass, so perhaps not. I don't see why he'd want that information to slip out through a third party and not just tell us himself._

But speaking of, Kallen had a request to make. "Would you do the same for Lelouch?" Best he not hear this information secondhand from her.

C.C. considered the matter for a moment. "Very well."

"Thank you." There were _many_ other issues to be raised with C.C., but they would keep for a better time. For now, only one had much importance. "Thank you for looking after us – Lelouch and me, that is – for all these years as well. You're always welcome in our home." It was the polite way to inform her she didn't have to skulk about in the shadows. Kallen understood why she had, of course, but the time for secrecy had ended.

With nothing more than a nod, C.C. went on her way.

* * *

Weddings, Lelouch decided, were entirely too much work for one person. That was probably why no one had ever tried to marry oneself. Well, not that he knew of. He had confidence in humanity's ability to produce _at least_ one such person. Regardless, he wondered what was keeping Kallen.

"I must admit," said Lord Gordiengo, "I'm surprised I merited an invitation."

"Nonsense," Lelouch said with a small wave of his hand. "I much enjoyed our games and conversations. In truth, my final stratagem against Leila Breisgau in Russia stemmed from one of them."

"Ha! I'll be sure to tell the children you said so."

"I doubt they'll believe you," Lady Gordiengo said. "Please don't flatter, Your Highness. My husband will develop a swollen head."

"If I recall correctly, it was your husband looking for a job as a flatterer, not me."

Lord Gordiengo laughed at the joke, much to his wife's confusion. "If only all royalty were like you. Ah, but we should be moving along. Do pay my respects to your princess for me."

"I will." To Lady Gordiengo, Lelouch added, "It was a pleasure to meet you. Enjoy the feast."

As one pair of guests moved on, another arrived. It took Lelouch a moment to recognise them. They were Kallen's guests, after all. He'd only met the younger one once in passing and never the elder.

"Good evening, Lord Gino." Lelouch turned from the tall blonde to the foreign beauty. "And unless I'm much mistaken, this must be the 'dragon child'."

The woman in question flushed but managed a perfect curtsy. "Ryūko Toyotomi, Your Highness. I'm as honoured as I am surprised."

Lelouch idly noted that whoever had taught Toyotomi English and Britannian customs had done a remarkably good job. "In my wife's absence, I feel safe to tell you she's incredibly jealous of your name."

It was only a fraction of a second, but Lelouch noticed the amused smirk on Lord Gino's face and braced himself. Sure enough, the very next moment, _someone_ punched his arm. Even if he didn't already know who, that level of control to draw a reaction just shy of actually hurting only came from one person.

"I'll have you know," Kallen began, "I'm very much attached to my own name, Lord Stadtfeld."

Lelouch snorted even as he held out his abused arm for Kallen to take. "I should know better than to invoke the laws of dramatic irony."

"Quite." Kallen leaned in and whispered, "Sorry I'm late. I invited C.C. into our home and saw to a few other things."

"Ah, whispering sweet nothings to each other already, eh?" Lord Gino teased.

Kallen, of course, replied, "Oh, we've been doing that for some time now. Anyway, it's good to see you both here together." To Lord Gino, she added, "I hate to spoil the mood, but if this" – she waved back and forth between the pair – "causes you any trouble with your parents, you're welcome to join Ryūko at Stadtfeld Manor. Or Aries Villa, if you'd both prefer."

"Thanks. I'll try to figure stuff out on my own, but I'll let you know."

Ryūko added a small bob and said, "Thank you, My La – er, Your Highness."

"It's no trouble. Enjoy the feast."

Once the other pair had left, Lelouch enquired, "'Other things'?"

"Later," Kallen said. From the wink of her left eye, Lelouch knew it had something to do with magic. "So how many people do we have left to greet?"

"Somewhere between too many and infinity."

Kallen chuckled as their next guests arrived in a group. While Euphemia and Laila stood back, Nunnally swept forward and caught her in a hug. The girl looked up with a grin. "Hello, my sister who married my brother."

A distinct frown grew on Kallen's face. "None of what you said is inaccurate, but I disapprove all the same."

For his own part, Lelouch just rolled his eyes and patted Nunnally on the head. "Have fun tonight. All three of you."

"We will," Nunnally assured Lelouch with a dangerous lilt to her voice.

As Laila and Nunnally moved onward, Euphemia wearily said, "I'll keep them out of trouble," before joining them.

A moment passed.

"You don't suppose Nunnally is actually a _bad_ influence, do you?"

Lelouch, knowing the root cause of the mischief, simply said, "I blame Milly."

* * *

As the only real parental figure of both the bride _and_ the groom left standing – Father wasn't even here, anyway, even if he counted – Cornelia felt the pressure to not screw this up. Gilbert had returned her notes to her, and Nonette was deflecting most conversation sent her way at the table so she could rehearse. She was not the orator in the family and needed the time to prepare; pre-battle speeches were the limit of her expertise.

 _Dammit, I'm twenty-seven! I shouldn't have to do this at least until my forties._

Cornelia heard her name and noticed that Lelouch had started his own speech.

"–first made me consider the idea. She spoke _very_ directly on the subject. Kallen as a love interest? Madness, I thought."

Cornelia tuned Lelouch out. Time grew short. Kallen would speak next, then it would be her turn. Soon enough, she heard her name again.

"–Euphie, and Nunnally introduced me to Lelouch. They'd weaved a crown of flowers into his hair when we first met."

A smile slipped out. Cornelia remembered that day well. Lelouch and Kallen's natural competitiveness had truly brought out the best in each other, and they'd quickly fallen into a vitriolic friendship. Or at least they had until the assassination attempt. Their behaviour hadn't changed much to the casual observer, but she'd noticed those two close ranks with each other after the incident. Not surprising, really, especially for–

Realising she'd gotten distracted, Cornelia muttered a swear and returned to her last minute studying. Far sooner than she liked, however, Nonette poked her and delivered the bad news. It was time. As Kallen sat down, she placed her notes upon the table and stood.

"Obviously, I am the mother of neither the bride nor the groom. It should go without saying that our family has experienced hard times. I'd barely entered my twenties when I found myself saddled with three children, two of them half my age, the regency of this metropolis, and responsibilities abroad in the army. We were falling apart, and I had no idea what I was doing or how to fix things.

"As you might imagine, it was to my very great relief when I discovered Lelouch and Kallen were not only capable of taking care of each other – at least when they weren't trying to outdo one another – but Nunnally as well. I worried as they grew older, of course. Kallen was a charming girl growing into a very beautiful young woman, and Lelouch… Well, we're royalty. Perhaps it's best I not comment on my brother's attractiveness."

If nothing else, Cornelia had managed at least some laughter from this torture. She'd need to thank Nonette for the assistance.

"Every time I returned to Aries Villa, I half-expected these two to be at each other's throat or sharing a bed. I don't believe it was ever a matter of if but rather when this day would come. Marianne, I know, would have encouraged this union with all her heart. I suspect Reese might have hesitated to agree to his precious only daughter marrying before she turned thirty, but if he would have approved of anyone, it would be the boy who treated her like a queen."

Cornelia paused there for a moment to banish the familiar ache. The loss of Marianne had never fully healed, and although she'd not known him long, Reese had quickly grown into some strange mixture of friend, older brother, and father figure. On a whim, she proposed, "A toast to absent friends."

Once everyone had drank, Cornelia continued her speech. "I have known Lelouch his whole life. He's always been a sharp boy. I remember witnessing a five-year-old consistently beating his _much_ older brother in chess to say the least. I think his defining trait, however, might be his patience with the women in his life."

For anyone who cared to look, it was terribly obvious Lelouch, perhaps rightfully so, took offence.

"I will spare him his dignity and not tell stories. Instead, I will merely remark that he grew up in what was, more or less, an otherwise all female household made even more so with the addition of his now wife."

There were a few laughs and far more smiles, the bride notably amongst both groups.

"Kallen entered our lives much later. She brought with her, in a word, energy. Indeed, she almost immediately accomplished the impossible: she managed to get Lelouch to exercise. Eventually somewhat of his own volition, even. I imagine that her being bright enough to challenge him in intellectual pursuits played a part in him wishing to mitigate his humiliation elsewhere."

Cornelia noticed Lelouch bury his face in his hands. Kallen rubbed his back and whispered no doubt reassuring words into his ear as the crowd laughed at the reaction.

"In some ways, this marriage is an unnecessary affair. Kallen has been an integral part of the family for years, but today it's my pleasure to officially welcome her to it. I wish you both a long, happy future together."

Cornelia sat heavily to applause with some confidence that she hadn't made a complete fool of herself in front of an audience too polite to simply say so.

 _I'm so glad that's done. I'm never having kids._

Of course, Cornelia realised but seconds later that she would have to go through all this again when Nunnally married.

* * *

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
** **July 7, 2017 a.t.b.**

Leaving cleanup and farewells to Milly and Cornelia, Kallen and Lelouch had left the feast early to retire to Stadtfeld Manor. They'd known in advance they'd be too tired to properly begin their honeymoon and so had decided on a short flight home for the night.

The moment they stepped through the front doors and made it through the congratulations of the staff, Kallen asked the most important question. "Your room or mine?"

"Your bed is bigger."

"Good enough for me." Kallen eagerly led the way upstairs and down the corridor to her room.

For the night, all was well.

* * *

 **A/N:** Scripting a wedding is _hard_ , as it turns out. Doubly so if it comes with narrative requirements and historical baggage. I knew going into this chapter that information about Britons before the conquest of Britain is not exactly in surplus, but…yeah, I didn't get anything in the way of primary source material on weddings. The closest I've got is the _Mabinogion_ (which is not exactly the right cultural legacy to look to in the first place), and that book is rather lacking in actual details. Oh well. I would have distorted the facts anyway to serve the narrative and Empress Annwn's politics. She really wasn't very subtle in telling the monogamous Old World to fuck off.

At any rate, don't walk away from this with any degree of certainty as regards historical accuracy. Especially since Britannian culture originated from a messy collection of Britonic tribes, went through no Romanisation, a late, half-hearted Christianisation, and then a thorough dechristianisation after the Humiliation.

On a scheduling note, I have a _very_ rough outline for R2. I'm unsure what that translates into for an update schedule, but I hope to get the next arc running relatively soon.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	30. R2 S26 - The Witch

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round Two  
Stage 26 - The Witch

 **Stadtfeld Manor  
New York, Britannia  
July 8, 2017 a.t.b.**

An arm draped over her waist, legs entangled, her back pressed against his chest, the faint sensation of his breath on her neck. Kallen sighed, happy and content in the arms of her husband. If she could awaken this way every day, she would. Really, if she'd known it would be this wonderful, she'd have taken Lelouch into her bed years ago.

"Noble fools," Kallen mumbled sleepily, "the both of us." He'd made them wait years while she'd entertained the idea of a marriage of convenience. "Utter nonsense."

"Are you finally awake?"

Kallen's eyes snapped open. On the settee along the wall lay C.C. in pyjamas. She held a book open over her head by both arms and appeared to be reading.

"What are you doing here!" Kallen hissed, hoping not to wake Lelouch.

Casually turning a page, C.C. replied, "You invited me."

"Not into my bedroom!"

"And no wonder. No condoms, no pill, no anything? How irresponsible. Even Marianne would say you're too young to give her grandchildren to spoil."

Kallen breathed deeply and silently to calm herself. _I see why Anne described C.C. as 'difficult'. Fine. I won't let her get under my skin._ "I understand you may not be hip with the times, but IUDs have been around for a while."

It took a few moments, but C.C. did nod in understanding. "I recall some lawsuit making them unpopular."

"Yeah, until recently. Kind of an overreaction, if you ask me. Especially when they give you the option to mostly not have to deal with your period."

"I can appreciate that. A perk of immortality is if I get that far along in my cycle, I can just reset it."

Completely serious, Kallen said, "I think I hate you."

C.C. smirked.

"You know," Lelouch began, "this really isn't the conversation I was hoping for the morning after my wedding night."

Kallen turned about in place, silently laughing at his reaction, to give Lelouch a lingering kiss. "Morning. Sorry we woke you."

"It's fine. But please indulge me. Why is C.C. here?"

"I was invited," C.C. replied before Kallen could.

Lelouch arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps some privacy for the moment, then?"

"If you insist." C.C. placed a bookmark and set aside whatever she was reading. She rose and then disappeared into Kallen's wardrobe. She emerged a couple minutes later wearing proper clothes which, despite some looseness in the chest, fit her well. She left without a word or second glance.

Once they were alone, Lelouch asked, "Did you actually invite her in?"

"No." It was a fair question, though. They weren't exactly shy about having the staff wake them when needed. "When I woke, she – wait. She just stole some of my clothes, didn't she?"

"Borrowed without permission, I believe."

"That's the same thing!" Kallen protested.

Lelouch remained unmoved – mildly amused, even. "Relax. There's no way she's lived this long without learning personal boundaries, so she must be deliberately pushing ours. Let her find them. She's in a relatively new environment with no friends and all goodwill stemming exclusively from gratitude. How long do you think it would be before she needed to flex her magic if you were Guinevere?"

 _That makes far more sense than it should._

"Just don't give let her get to you in the process."

A sigh escaped Kallen. "Don't feed the trolls?"

"I imagine she's not antagonistic for its own sake, but a similar approach should work."

"Fine, fine." If she could suffer aristocratic scum, she could handle an annoying ancient who'd saved her life _at least_ once. More importantly, they were alone now. Kallen ran her hand up Lelouch's chest. "So what _were_ you expecting from the morning after your wedding night?"

"To be honest, some sleepy snuggling and a long lie in, but I seem to have married an insatiable woman. A miscalculation on my part."

With raised brows, Kallen shifted her legs.

"But perhaps after. I can bear the burden of your indulgence while this is all still new and exciting until it becomes a normal leisure activity."

"Uh-huh." Kallen grinned and rolled on top of Lelouch. "Your sacrifice honours me, Your Highness. Now shut up and kiss me."

* * *

As much as she tried to pretend otherwise, Euphemia dragged her feet on her way down to brunch. Every part of her from her brain to her toes felt exhausted even after her lie in. It'd been a long night.

The smell of pizza drifted out of the library as Euphemia walked past. Curious, she poked her head inside. Therein she discovered an unexpected guest in the manor. Food could wait, she decided. And with any luck, she could steal some leftovers from last night's feast right now.

"Good morning. You're C.C., right?"

The woman in question barely bothered to glance up from her book before nodding.

"I'm Euphemia, Lelouch's sister." Introductions were probably unnecessary but still polite. After a moment, she added, "And Kallen's too, I suppose."

"I know." C.C. took a bite of pizza, and as she closed her book, an expectant air settled around her. Did she not enjoy good conversation? Or perhaps had she suffered one too many entitled princesses in her life?

Euphemia didn't know the answer but nonetheless pressed on, determined to make a good impression. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm told you've been looking after us for years. I'd like to express my gratitude for what must have been an exhausting and thankless job. If you weren't here, I know at least two people I love wouldn't be."

"I can't let my contractor die before she fulfils her end of our deal."

"Even so," Euphemia insisted. "You were there long before you gave her magic after all."

C.C. arched her eyebrows at the word 'magic'.

Laughing lightly, Euphemia said, "A little in-joke amongst us. We know the proper term is geass."

"It makes no difference to me."

 _Wonderful!_ Euphemia had been a little concerned she'd given offence. Perhaps, then, she could pursue a few other avenues of conversation both to break the ice and to satisfy her own curiosity. "I have a request I'd like to make of you."

With but a look, C.C. instructed Euphemia to continue.

"Could I ask you a few questions about history?" In truth, Euphemia hoped a few casual enquiries to get C.C. talking would turn into a much longer session. When else, after all, would she ever have the opportunity to speak with someone who had lived through the ages?

C.C., seemingly caught off guard, blinked. "I may not answer," she eventually declared.

"I understand. Something simple first, then. What do you think has made the biggest change to society?"

Without missing a beat, C.C. replied, "The transistor's effect on the world has been radical, swift, and pervasive."

Euphemia resisted the urge to pout. She'd expected something a little less modern, something she hadn't lived through herself to some degree. Still, it was a good answer. "Fair enough. I suppose I would say the same. What's your favourite time period?" A moment later, she added, "Which you've lived through."

That question took longer for an answer to come. "The decades surrounding the Humiliation produced some of my most interesting contractors."

"Oh? Anyone I would recognise?"

"A few. I fell out with Elizabeth before then, so I left for the colonies where I met George. After his death, I went to the continent and eventually ran into Napoleon. In the twenties, Annwn sought me out and asked me to return to the fold. I refused at first but later changed my mind after Elizabeth died."

With a Herculean effort, Euphemia snapped her jaw shut. "Do you have a long – er, well…" She tried to find the right words. "How often have you been involved with my family?"

C.C. shrugged. "Off and on over the centuries. I made several promises in exchange for the opportunity to go after the Duke of Orléans. I was younger then. Wrothful."

It took only a moment for the connection to be made but far longer for Euphemia to find her voice again. "You're the Witch of Britannia! The original one." This was so exciting! She had a living legend sitting right across the table from her.

A mildly interested hum met the question. "Kallen didn't tell you?"

Euphemia shook her head. Still somewhat stunned, she took a few moments to process the revelation. "What did you have against the duke?" Scholars had debated that alongside the witch's identity since before the nineteenth century.

"That's none of your business."

Euphemia winced at the tone. That had, in hindsight, been an insensitive question. She apologised and, as much as she wished otherwise, silently promised to steer clear of the entire subject. Still, there were plenty of other things to talk about. She still had the chance to make a good impression.

* * *

The dining hall – the private one – nearly overflowed with family. Not everyone had elected to spend the night, but table space remained in short supply regardless. Merry conversation flowed in a half-dozen little groups from Cornelia and Ruben's relaxed comments on the news to Nunnally and Laila's furtive whispers and giggles. This was life as it should be.

Oddly enough, Euphemia had elected to skip brunch. Lelouch chuckled to himself at the thought. Nunnally and Laila must have worn her out completely last night. He sympathised. Truly, he did. Kallen had done the same to him, if in a more enjoyable manner. One way or another, that woman seemed determined to keep him relatively fit.

As each member of the family in turn made their good mornings and well-wishes, Lelouch and Kallen split for each end of the table. As this was her manor, she took her usual position at the head. Lelouch, as her consort as much as she was his, sat in the _long_ vacant chair across from her.

"So how is the world reacting?" Lelouch enquired of the two sitting adjacent to him.

Ruben folded his newspaper to reveal today's headline, 'Wedding of the Century,' while Cornelia continued to poke at her phone. "Some negative comments about the guest list, but going fully traditional" – a rarity these days for logistical reasons – "on such an absurd scale seems to have balanced things out. Beyond that, the romance of being a prince and knight, childhood friends, and actually liking each other sold the affair."

"More or less what I've seen," Cornelia said. "You needn't fear to tread in public anymore than when you returned from the war. The women are envious. The men want to be you. All told, it's as you might expect. The people love you two; the nobility hates you in particular. Extreme responses from the latter are the usual drivel. They mostly claim you're unworthy of such a fine woman from a good family and should stop infecting her with un-Britannian ideas."

There were more than a few snickers along the table from those who'd overheard. Nunnally turned to Kallen with a purposeful look in her eye and received a small nod in return a few moments later. She then led a confused looking Laila out of the room, presumably to explain the joke in private where any unpleasant reactions wouldn't disturb the lingering celebratory atmosphere. Lelouch doubted its necessity, however. Kallen wouldn't have given Nunnally the go-ahead to reveal that secret without consulting the future.

Nonette chimed in and asked Cornelia, "Do you have that one rant saved? The one comparing Kallen to poor Dame Eleanor? No?" She clicked her tongue. "Well, tsk tsk, nonetheless, Lulu. Enslaving your knight is wrong."

Across the table, Kallen's face immediately turned bright red. When Lelouch's eyes met her own, she turned away to resume her own conversation. He smirked at the reaction but made no further comment. The forfeits from their wagers were so much more satisfying now that they were physically involved with each other.

Cornelia loudly cleared her throat, apparently intensely uninterested in the current subject matter. "Where do you intend to go for your honeymoon?"

"We were thinking of flying to Hawaii and then island hopping around the Pacific for a few months. We'll eventually make our way to Japan and drop in on everyone there. After that, I think we'll go wherever the wind takes us."

"Sounds relaxing."

Nonette agreed. "You know–"

Cornelia cut her off immediately. "Father will not give you months of leave if you marry."

"Hmph. I thought we had something special. Of course you would have some ulterior motive. I should have known better. All royals are the same."

Cornelia rolled her eyes but otherwise didn't deign to respond.

"Except for dear Lelouch here, of course."

Lelouch, chuckling, politely replied, "My apologies, but I have my hands full with just Kallen."

And thus Nonette decried him. "All royals are the same!"

* * *

Before they left for their tour of paradise, one green-haired menace needed sorting out. Kallen asked around and almost immediately discovered her location: the library. She and Lelouch went upstairs to meet her now that they were all fully dressed.

Or Kallen hoped they were all fully dressed. If Lelouch was right about C.C., she couldn't be sure.

To her delight, they did, in fact, find C.C. dressed. Still in her own clothes, she might add, but whatever. More interestingly, they found the menace engaged in conversation with Euphie about the unification of Germany.

While eating pizza.

Greasy pizza.

In the library filled with books, many of which were autographed first editions sometimes dating back to before the Humiliation.

Kallen breathed deeply and put it from her mind. It wasn't like she hadn't done the same or worse as a child, and C.C. and Euphie didn't have any of the important books at their table. Indeed, the latter would surely have already said something if necessary. No big deal.

Lelouch took the lead. "Good morning, Euphemia. We missed you at brunch, although I see you haven't gone hungry." Disregarding the woman in question's guilty blush at being caught red-handed, a half-eaten slice in her hand, he turned to their other guest. "I'm very curious. Did we only ever have to invite you to join us for you to appear?"

"Bet you feel very foolish now," C.C. said while devouring a dangling strand of cheese. Was she lying? For the life of her, Kallen couldn't tell, but it wouldn't surprise her. Once Lelouch sat down, C.C. said, "Give me your hand."

Although he quirked an eyebrow at the demand, Lelouch compiled. Then as Kallen recalled from yesterday, a bright red glow shone from beneath the fringe of C.C.'s hair. He swayed unsteadily in his seat until the process finished but seconds later. Once it had, he reacted in much the same way as she had as he sorted out the difference between real and implanted memories.

"The emperor can alter memories?" Lelouch turned to Kallen.

"She did me yesterday. He's not one of hers."

Lelouch nodded in understanding. "No wonder he emerged victorious through the Emblem of Blood and has such an iron grip on the country. What a game breaking power for the unaware." He glanced in mock accusation at Kallen who merely smiled and poked his foot with her own.

Across the table, C.C. said, "Oh my. Perhaps this is for the best. The real you is a monster."

"W-what?" Euphie pulled her hand back as if burnt. "I-I… I…"

Kallen rolled her eyes. "She's obviously lying. You've been the sweetest person I've ever had the pleasure to know since I met you. You're clean."

Euphie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Personally, I'd think Cornelia the likelier victim," Kallen said, "since she did the investigation into Marianne's murder. She might have stumbled onto something magical."

Lelouch frowned as he considered the matter. "It's possible, I suppose. It would certainly be frustrating to have had the solution to so many mysteries so near at hand yet so far out of reach for so long." He shot a look at C.C. who remained unfazed and uninterested. "I trust you'll find a, shall we say, quiet way to inform Marrybell when you return to Japan?"

Uneasy laughter met the question. "I'll do my best," Euphie replied. "I can tell everyone else, too. No need to hold up your departure."

"You're the best," Kallen said. She then turned to C.C.. "Speaking of, what about you?" After quickly checking that it would be fine with Lelouch, she added, "If you're going to follow us around anyway, you may as well just come with."

C.C. snorted in some slight amusement. "You're much more accommodating than Marianne. Very well."

That did make some things easier. Most of their questions could wait until they were on a sandy beach somewhere warm and sunny with crystal clear blue waves. It wasn't like they expected C.C. to answer many of them anyway.

* * *

 **Flora Bay  
** **Area 7, Britannia  
** **July 11, 2017 a.t.b.**

Lelouch laid comfortably on the Misty Sands Beach, relaxed and reading a book. It was not his lying wife next to him. She was off in the ocean learning to surf. Every so often, he heard a comical shriek from her abruptly end in a splash. He looked up each time to assure himself of her safety and unsurprisingly found her already beelining for the riptide back out to sea on every instance.

No, it was C.C. sunbathing beside him. An odd choice, given the woman's abilities. Her regeneration meant she couldn't hold a tan, but then she also couldn't burn. Perhaps she simply enjoyed the heat.

As the sun lowered in the sky, Lelouch set his book aside. He'd need to rein Kallen in soon to head inside for dinner and some light dancing. If he left her to her own devices, she'd probably not return until she collapsed from hunger or mastered the waves. But for the moment, this seemed as good a time as any to speak with the witch.

"I've had a thought," Lelouch began. "The emperor suggested something to me many months ago."

C.C. hummed curiously.

"He said I should obtain a geass if I wanted to continue investigating my mother's murder."

"And I suppose you want one, then." It wasn't an accusation, merely a statement of presumed fact.

Lelouch didn't bother to answer. Geass, magic that could slip out of its possessor's control, was a gamble. Some powers like Kallen's could be permanent without issue. Others, he imagined, could become crippling or even torturous.

"At first, I assumed he meant it in the sense that I should fight fire with fire. I gave it no more thought then that at the time. He knew we knew about geass through Marrybell, not that we had one. That was all.

"But then we discovered that Anne, who reports to him, indeed likely works directly under him, suspected Kallen for entirely different reasons. And if she did, so too did he."

C.C. rolled onto her front, legs idly kicking in the air. "So?"

"So? Anne easily deduced Kallen's geass. Not the details, of course, but the general ability. It is, frankly, absurdly powerful. Why then would he specifically recommend I obtain a geass? I assume the powers are somewhat random. Kallen turned hers to her advantage in the heat of the moment, but it didn't exactly fit the situation at hand when you gave it to her. Would mine even be useful? Would it be a burden? I believe he finds me too useful to cripple.

"No, it's not the magic that matters but the geass itself. He specifically informed me that _I_ should have one. Not everyone I trust with the power, not all those he believes he can control, but me in particular. It then follows that I _must_ have one to have my revenge."

While this was all guesswork, Lelouch had confidence in every conclusion so far. Now, however, he was about to enter more uncertain territory.

"By that logic, I must have a geass to kill whoever killed my mother. The specific power doesn't matter, only the geass itself. Kallen I know can be killed without a geass, so that leaves me with only one conclusion with the information I have available: an immortal killed my mother; moreover, geass bearers can kill immortals."

This time C.C.'s hum had a distinctly impressed tone to it. "A compelling theory. If it's true, you must know what that means for your quest."

Indeed he did. An entire army of sorcerers would stand between Lelouch and his mother's murderer. He had no experience, no historical records, no anything to draw on to fight them. His only assent against them was his seeress who he could only hope had longer foresight than anyone amongst his enemies. Even then, the immortal, immune to her geass, would thus be perfectly positioned to throw a spanner into the works at any time without warning, without affecting their own oracles.

Worse, said immortal already considered him a nuisance. Not one so dangerous as to attract attention attempting to kill, but enough of one to send assassins when they could be spared and moved unnoticed. It was an impossible task.

But Lelouch was the man who made the impossible possible.

Geass was a gamble he was willing to take.

"I propose a deal. In return for your gift of power, I will grant you one wish."

Even if Lelouch couldn't see her face, he could hear the smirk in C.C.'s voice. "I just knew you'd grow up to become a fascinating man."

"Then do we have a deal?"

"No."

"No? Why not?"

"Kallen is already bound to grant my wish, and I know you'll help your beloved wife in whatever way you can. Thus your offer is meaningless."

As much as he wished to, Lelouch couldn't fault that logic. Even so, he refused to drop the subject without pressing his case. While he assumed Kallen's geass would do in a pinch, vengeance was so much more satisfying when taken by one's own hand. He didn't know why the emperor had tacitly delegated it to him, but he wouldn't protest the noninterference.

"I don't suppose I could bribe you again?"

"We've yet to settle the last one," C.C. countered.

Lelouch conceded the point. "What do you want?"

"Hmm… When we get to Japan, we stay long enough for me to save up enough points for a Cheese-kun."

"Okay?" Lelouch had no idea what a Cheese-kun was or how one obtained it, but it sounded more than reasonable as bribes went. "Now with that out of the way–"

"If I wouldn't make a contract for a wish, why do you believe I would for a bribe?" When Lelouch failed to respond, C.C. rose and gathered her things. As she walked off, she said, "Good night, Lelouch. Enjoy your evening with your wife."

Frustrated, but not willing to try the witch's patience, Lelouch's eyes followed her until she left the beach behind. Once she was gone, his gaze turned toward the horizon. He idly watched the sun sink toward the horizon as he pondered her refusal.

Could she not grant him a geass? If so, why not? Did it cost her something? If it did, they wouldn't know unless she told them, and he doubted she ever would. Were there special circumstances that had to be met? He didn't particularly wish to replicate the those that had led to Kallen's. Did she herself have a limit to the number of contracts she could make? Any such number felt arbitrary, but he couldn't rule it out. Kallen's geass had an arbitrary temporal limit, after all.

Perhaps she simply didn't want him to have a geass. Was there something wrong with him? Unless she had killed his mother – unlikely – he didn't see why Kallen but not him. Did she simply not approve of creating sorcerers when it could be avoided? Assuming Kallen had quoted their contract correctly, she did seem to regard geass as a burden for unspecified reasons.

Of course, maybe if he had _just asked_ instead of trying to make a deal, he might have seen better results. Some people, he knew, responded well to requests but had little taste for more formal bargains. C.C. didn't seem the type, but then he didn't know her that well yet.

Something heavy and wet settled onto Lelouch's legs and broke him from his thoughts. It was Kallen. She intertwined her hands with his. "Here we are in a tropical paradise in the middle of summer on our honeymoon, and you read all day in the shade with another woman. Remind me again why I married you."

"I believe you developed some fiendish plan to become empress at your princely husband's expense when we were children."

Kallen's brows furrowed in thought. "Oh yes." She grinned as she said, "You gave me the idea, I recall. Thank you for that. It seems to be succeeding beyond all expectations, for you know yet don't care."

"Ah, but perhaps that's merely what I want you to think."

"No no. _This_ is the face of a man determined to enjoy his final days." Kallen leaned forward for a light kiss. "The least I can do is oblige in honour of your sacrifice."

"Will you at least remember me?"

"Fondly, my love. Though I rip my heart out, I must have the throne."

Lelouch chuckled. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

In answer, Kallen kissed him once more. It was a slow, lingering affair, barely a meeting of lips. The scent of the ocean filled him as he breathed in, a reminder of how she'd spent her day.

"I may have overdone it a little," Kallen confessed. She spoke softly, the two of them barely an inch apart. "I may laze away the day with you tomorrow. We could watch a film, just wander around the island, or maybe play videogames. We haven't done that in far too long."

"We've been busy."

Kallen hummed her agreement as, still wet and dripping, she snuggled in next to Lelouch to watch the sunset. He protested, but she only stuck her tongue out before draping more of herself over him. "So? You getting along with C.C.?"

"I suppose." Their conversation could have ended better, but C.C. had at least seemed engaged while it'd lasted. "She did decline to induct me into the magical order."

"I'm not surprised."

That brought Lelouch up short. He turned to her in question. Did she know something he didn't?

Somewhat abashed, Kallen said, "I thought it was obvious." She went on to ask, "What do you think she's been doing the past eight years? Why do you think she's _here_? How many active contracts do you think she has?"

 _Oh._ Because all of C.C.'s contracts that Lelouch knew of were with those in positions of extraordinary power, it seemed he'd made assumptions about her wish – and thus how many contracts she made – that simply weren't true. He briefly wondered if she counted Anne amongst her contractors. He'd assumed so, but perhaps not.

"The real question," Kallen continued, "is did she want me or did she want you but got stuck with me?"

 _Very true. Kallen is the obvious replacement for Mum, but_ "she _did_ describe me as 'a fascinating man'."

Kallen rolled her eyes. "That just proves she's not blind, deaf, and dull. But now that I think of it, when I first met her, she did say we might meet again in…seven years, I think it was. I think her choice is clear."

"'Might' being the keyword. How was she to know you would still be with me all these years later?"

"Oh, please," Kallen said. "She'd been lurking around in the shadows. Anyone with eyes could see we were glued together."

Opportunity knocked, and Lelouch seized it. "Shall we make a wager of it? Betting on ourselves, of course."

"You're on. I hope you're prepared for me to return the favour for last time."

Oh, what a glorious victory that had been. Kallen, the woman who hadn't even pinked that night after their betrothal, the woman who, as far as he knew, had deflowered herself just to ensure she enjoyed her first time, had worn an almost permanent blush throughout her day as his personal bed slave. Truly, she had been a vision of beauty.

"Stop smirking!" Kallen slapped a hand to his chest.

"Why should I? You know you enjoyed it as much as I did. Probably more."

"I did not! It was humiliating!" Kallen protested more quietly than expected.

With a very reminiscent blush on her face.

And a shifting of her legs.

 _Oh?_ He knew she'd enjoyed herself despite her denial. That pride of hers cut both ways, but she knew how to say no when she wanted. And that reaction… "Did you just accept a wager you believe you're going to lose?"

Subdued, almost at a whisper, Kallen once more protested, "Of course not."

That sparked an idea.

"I propose another wager. We'll flip a coin. I bet it will land on heads or tails."

Kallen didn't immediately reject the offer. Oh, she made a silent bluster about the whole affair, but once the indignant steam had worked its way out of her, she demurely replied, "I'll take that wager." She rolled over to her bag and rooted around inside it until she unearthed a two pound coin and offered it up almost in supplication.

Somewhat surprised, Lelouch took the coin and flicked it up into the air. He watched it arch up and then begin its descent.

Kallen flashed into motion. Her hand snapped out. And there caught between Kallen's thumb and a pair of fingers hung the coin.

"Well, would you look at that. What a surprise. It got wedged on its side between my fingers which just happened to be in the way. Bad luck, love, but I totally would have counted it if it'd landed on, say, your leg."

Lelouch opened his mouth. His eyes went from the coin between Kallen's hands – the largest currently in circulation, he noted – to the bag he _knew_ contained other denominations which she'd spent some time rummaging through.

He blinked.

Then he burst out into genuine, full belly laughter. "I've been outplayed," he managed. "Brava."

Kallen smirked in turn before settling back into place nestled up beside him, her head resting comfortably in the crook of his neck. "You walked right into that one. Do you have something to confess?"

"Only that I look forward to you losing our other wager."

"I'm sure you do," she sighed out, relaxed.

They sat there together in silence, watching the day slip away and basking in the other's presence. Once the sun finally slipped over the horizon, Lelouch realised Kallen had fallen asleep. He picked up his book, still able to read by the twilight, and returned to where he'd left off. Dinner could wait until she finished her nap.

* * *

 **Flora Bay  
** **Area 7, Britannia  
** **July 13, 2017 a.t.b.**

Having not left their hotel room at all yesterday, Kallen found herself eager to stretch her legs. She'd left Lelouch behind to organise a few details with the Shinozaki concerning their eventual island hopping up the Japanese archipelago. For now, she was in search of something light to bring back to their room for lunch.

A flash of bright green caught Kallen's attention. Upon further inspection, she discovered C.C. sitting inside a fairly busy pizzeria. As she'd been wanting to have a word with the woman, she slipped inside the restaurant. Pizza sounded as good as anything else right now, so she placed an order to go and sat down across from her quarry.

"I'm curious. Do you eat _anything_ else, Pizza Girl?"

C.C. countered with, "Do you breathe anything but air?"

"I–" How did one respond to that against someone who technically didn't need to breathe at all? Or eat, now that Kallen thought about it. "Fair enough. Is it good?"

"Much better than I expected. I'd never had coconut flour crust before today."

Well, this was certainly the right part of the world to try it.

"Just avoid sweet toppings, I think."

"I'll tell Lelouch I have a connoisseur's recommendation, then, when I show up with pizza. Speaking of, after talking with him a couple days ago, I have a few questions for you." Recalling that Lelouch had asked for a geass, Kallen added, "Just questions."

C.C. raised her eyebrows in invitation before biting into a new slice of her pizza.

"So when we first met, I realise now that you intimated the possibility of making a contract with either me or someone close to me when we were older. But back then, you were abiding by Marianne's wish to keep us in the dark. I don't understand the conflict of interests there."

With a shrug, C.C. merely said, "Marianne broke our contract."

 _By dying, I assume. I hardly think that counts._ But then perhaps C.C. felt the same. She _did_ do as asked until it became untenable. Did she not think that counted, or did she just not care? _Either way, that says an awful lot about her character._ Kallen chose not to comment and moved on. "Who were you hoping to contract with? I won't be offended if it wasn't me."

"So the prince sends in his wife to make his case for him. How disappointing."

"It's not like that," Kallen said. She leaned closer. "He and I have a bet, you see, on which of us you actually wanted."

C.C. hummed in faux interest. "In that case, you and Lelouch were both acceptable choices."

Now that couldn't stand. "Come on. Surely one of us must have been more than merely 'acceptable'. Who did you really want?"

Perhaps as Kallen should have expected, C.C. made no further remark and merely enjoyed her pizza.

A light sigh escaped Kallen. Why did her witch have to be so difficult? Anne had been so much more forthcoming with information. Perhaps she'd enjoyed the pleasure of a more affable immortal contractor than Kallen and Marianne.

"Fine." _No one wins this time,_ Kallen supposed. But she'd managed to swindle a free win out of Lelouch, so she called this a victory and left it at that. Then she noticed the receipt for C.C.'s pizza. "Hey. After six centuries of compound interest, how rich are you?"

"Usury? What kind of woman do you take me for?"

"Ah. Right." Fifteenth century Europe was a very different place than modern Britannia. "Banking was just starting to become respectable back then, wasn't it?"

"Venial I believe is the word you were looking for."

That brought a small smile onto Kallen's face. _So she does have a sense of humour._ "Let me rephrase my original question. I have no idea how much wealth you've accumulated over your life or what arrangements you made with Marianne. If you need anything, within reason, let me know."

C.C. shifted and pulled a card out of her pocket. "I'll trade you." She held it out for Kallen to take. Upon closer inspection, it revealed itself as a credit card in Marianne Lamperouge's name. Surprisingly, the expiration date was still several years in the future.

 _Eh, why not?_ Kallen withdrew her own card from her pocket and made the exchange. "Will Lelouch have to do anything special to plug this" – apparently unknown – "leak in his finances?"

"Just cancel it. I was eating into a buffer. It should revert to his estate."

 _Well, that makes things simple._ "While I have you, what exactly is your wish?"

C.C. held up and hand and pointed toward the till. "Your pizza is ready."

It was, and Kallen heard her name called out to pick it up, but she said, "You know, I can't arrange for your wish to be granted if I don't know what it is."

"You're doing fine. Just don't die."

 _I'm not going to get anywhere with her, am I?_ Kallen instinctively reached for her usual magic tricks but, frustrated, dismissed the idea when she remembered that magic didn't work on C.C.. "Whatever," she said as she stood. "It's your wish. Don't come crying to me if it turns out I need forty years to grant it when I'm sixty-five."

* * *

Jeremiah honestly had no idea how to feel about the immortal woman his liege and his, well, he also unsure of what his professional relationship with Lady Stadtfeld was since the wedding or what style she would be adopting. On the one hand, she was a worthy consort for his liege and a countess in her own right. On the other hand, he'd not been informed if she'd been released from her oaths upon her nuptials. 'Her Highness' would be the safest choice in manner of address, but he would have to enquire sometime soon.

At any rate, he didn't know what to think of the immortal woman the royal couple had taken into their company. She'd saved both of their lives at least once, certainly. From what he'd heard, she'd even forged a similar arrangement with Her Majesty years ago. Indeed, Empress Marianne had instructed her to look after the children before her death. It was hard to argue with that.

But she also kept secrets. They didn't even know what she wanted. That alone made her dangerous.

Jeremiah silently trailed after C.C. through the city streets in the relative dark of night. She'd given no word of her departure, merely slipped out through an employee exit with the bad fortune for one of the Shinozaki to spot her. Though she made no further efforts to hide her movements, she strode with purpose toward whatever destination she had in mind.

Once or twice, C.C. stopped and reconsidered her route with a thoughtful frown before resuming her journey. Eventually, it led her to another resort not too far away from their own. She stepped inside, and Jeremiah slipped in after her just in time to see her vanish into an employee area.

Should he follow? He could get caught and draw attention to himself. The actual staff he could brush off easily enough, but C.C. could be a serious problem. If she intended harm, could he retreat before she took him down? The limits of her magic remained a mystery to him, a factor which he knew would give her a decisive advantage in any struggle.

Ultimately, Jeremiah decided to wait her out. His patience proved fruitful as C.C. reappeared a few minutes later in the lobby dressed in a porter's uniform. She pulled a food trolley along behind her by one hand toward the lifts, a bulky metal thing capable of concealing who knew what inside of it. If she had a job here, he would eat his hat.

Once C.C. boarded a lift and the door slid shut behind her, he moved forward to catch one himself. He watched the display on hers stop on the twelfth floor and then on the sixteenth. Those were close enough to take the stairs between them if necessary.

Jeremiah stepped onto one of the lifts and pressed the twelve button. It rose slowly, and he tapped his foot impatiently, but with no other passengers riding with him this late at night, he arrived soon enough.

The lift doors opened, and Jeremiah stepped out onto the floor. He explored it quickly but cautiously without finding a hint of his quarry.

Uttering a curse, Jeremiah strode toward the stairwell and shot up four flights to the sixteenth floor. There he almost immediately spotted the trolley C.C. had brought with her parked in front of a room with the door left ajar. As he approached, he heard the sound of a struggle punctuated by a man's erratic cries of denial.

 _A lover's spat?_ He doubted it, but Jeremiah had no context to make a more educated guess. He quietly pushed the door open a few more inches to observe the fight.

C.C. moved in an odd stance that, as far as Jeremiah could tell, left her full of openings. Despite this, her opponent, a scarred, muscular man likely of European descent, stared at her in open fear. He held her at arm's length with an improvised club of wood in shaking hands as he mumbled something under his breath.

Then it happened. C.C. dashed forward. The man swung at her with his crude weapon, but she merely let it roll off of her and took the opportunity to deliver a fierce blow to the gut.

The man screamed. Not in pain – no, that came in a slight grunt – but in horror. C.C. jumped back to avoid his wild flailing at her as he collapsed to the floor, but there was little left he could do. She swept forward and disarmed him with a kick. The wood went flying and bounced off the wall to land on the lone bed.

"No, no, no. Please! Stay away!" the man begged, crawling away into the corner.

C.C. paid his mutterings no mind. She grasped the man by the throat and shoved him against the wall. The act reminded Jeremiah of how Her Majesty had dealt with nobility and sometimes even royalty when in a temper. Perhaps this was where she'd learnt the bad habit.

After holding the man in place long enough for him to pass out, C.C. finally let him drop to the floor. She clicked her tongue. "What do I do with you?" She paused to think for a few seconds before calling out, "Jeremiah–"

The man in question started, unintentionally knocking the door all the way open and revealing himself.

"–since you're here, you can do the heavy lifting. Put him" – she pointed to the man on the floor – "in the trolley."

Cautiously, Jeremiah asked, "Who is he?"

"A geass spy."

Jeremiah's eyes widened, and he rushed into the room to do his part. He would not have sorcerers interrupting his liege's much earned holiday with his newly wedded wife. As he hefted the man into the trolley, he asked, "What did you do to him?"

In answer, C.C. demonstrated. It only lasted a moment, but Jeremiah saw a vision of Her Majesty condemning him for his failure to protect her. The instant C.C. removed her hand from his shoulder, the image faded, and he leaned heavily on the trolley.

"You – you punched him with nightmares?"

"Oh?" C.C. gave Jeremiah an approving look. "Close enough. Now let's go."

"Where should I meet you?"

"Nowhere. He's here alone. Call a ride for us on the way down."

And so it was. The pair took the lift back down the lobby and, without once being stopped, recovered C.C.'s clothes and found their way to a back entrance. Shinobu, who'd been read into this magical nonsense, pulled into the alley in a small black car within minutes. They lobbed the man into the back seat and took up vigil on either side of him.

"Where to?" Shinobu asked.

"The airport."

As they set out, Jeremiah secured their prisoner. Once he was satisfied the man was well and truly restrained – not that he thought anyone could escape such close proximity with C.C. now that he'd personally witnessed her in action – he asked, "We're letting him go?"

"Unfortunately," C.C. replied. "We'd have a bigger mess on our hands if we didn't. I expected another assassin, not an enforcer."

Shinobu glanced in the mirror and, curious, asked, "'Enforcer', Miss C.C.?"

"Nevermind. This should be the last we hear of them." Almost to herself, C.C. muttered, "Unless someone does something incredibly stupid."

That answer didn't satisfy Jeremiah, and he could see in the mirror that Shinobu felt much the same. Still, lest he overstep his bounds and create more problems, all he could really do is report to one of Their Highnesses and let them sort out their witch.

"If you don't mind," Jeremiah said courteously, "what magic does this man have?"

"He's a telepath."

Jeremiah shared a look with Shinobu through the mirror. How much intelligence had this man stolen? What had he been after? Could they afford to let him go? C.C. seemed to think so, but she also had very different priorities.

Nonetheless, they arrived near the airport. Under C.C.'s direction, Jeremiah dragged the man to the shore and tossed him into the ocean. He sputtered and cried out in surprise as he woke but stiffened when he saw C.C. approach.

"Listen carefully," she said. "Return to your masters and tell them that the vi Britannias and their friends _remain_ off-limits. You know they have their little mad scientist under control, so _back off_."

 _Mad scientist?_ Jeremiah silently asked Shinobu if she knew anything about that, but she shook her head. _Well, His Highness apparently knows about whatever she means. That's good enough for me._

C.C. continued, "You will leave on the first flight available off this island. I will know if you stay or if your masters send anyone else. Understood?"

The man nodded frantically but otherwise remained completely petrified. Jeremiah could hardly blame him. That was the difference between the briefest brush with the nightmare and being smothered under it.

"Good." C.C. turned from the man and strode back up the beach. "Let's go."

Jeremiah spared the terrified man one last look before following after C.C. toward the car. He would remember the face and inform the guard to be careful. It truly and finally struck home how much he'd need to rework their security measures. He'd tried over the last six or so months, but he knew now how badly he'd failed. He might very well even need to pick his prince's brain for ideas. Magic made everything so much more complex.

Regardless, from the front of the car, Jeremiah eyed the witch sprawled out in the back without a seat belt. He still didn't know what she wanted, but for now he would consider her an essential asset to security.

* * *

 **A/N:** Island hopping across the Pacific to Japan? Wherever might they be going? Next time: _Stage 27 - Kaminejima_.

My friends, C.C. is such a hard character to write. She's a mess of internally consistent contradictions with a haze of depression colouring everything. Understanding her is one thing. Really getting into her head to move her as she would move is another entirely. I only hope I can do her character arc justice over the course of the story.

P.S. By the way, just to be clear, that wasn't Mao. I have a hard enough time placing him in the canon timeline given his canon age and where/what we know C.C. was up to between Marianne's death and her contract with Lelouch, but he absolutely doesn't fit in the timeline here. Don't expect a teenager C.C. abandoned as a child. Anything else is fair game.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


	31. R2 S27 - Kaminejima

**A/N:** Many people own _Code Geass_ , but not me.

* * *

Round Two  
Stage 27 - Kaminejima

 **Shikinejima  
** **Philippine Sea  
** **October 2, 2017 a.t.b.**

In the dead of midnight, Jeremiah found himself confronting a real life nightmare. The witch swept into the room with the closest thing he'd seen on her face to distress or anger. "Where are they going?" she demanded.

"Who?" Jeremiah asked innocently. "If you mean Their Highnesses, they've already retired for the–"

"Do not test me." C.C.'s voice dropped from cool to frigid. "You will not enjoy it if I must rip the information from your mind."

Jeremiah gulped. This left him in something of a dilemma. He could prevaricate, in which case the witch's patience would rapidly grow short. He could shoot her and hope he had enough bullets to keep her down until the morning, to which she would likely respond by breaking his mind once he ran out. Or he could immediately capitulate and save everyone a lot of trouble.

"Kaminejima."

"Those fools!" C.C. muttered. "How do I contact them?"

"You don't," Jeremiah replied plainly. "We scouted the island out in advance with drones and then in person, but they still felt it safer to go completely off the grid." Excepting short-range radio for operational communications, of course. "They're not even alone. I don't see why–"

C.C. had already spun toward the door. She dragged Jeremiah out with her by the arm and demanded, "Prepare a boat for me. Something fast and small."

* * *

 **Kaminejima  
** **Philippine Sea  
** **October 2, 2017 a.t.b.**

Kaminejima. The island certainly fit the name. Littered with caves, dense forests, sheer cliffs hidden amongst the trees, and treacherous, rocky waters, the land was unsuited to human habitation. A single misstep could lead to disaster. A lapse in judgement, death.

Yet the island held a breathtaking beauty to it, dangerous and magnificent in equal measure. It's mysteries invited the imagination. The surrounding islands told tales of ancient priests making the difficult journey up the mountain to its waterfall for ritual purifications. Those who'd returned unharmed carried with them stories of gods and spirits. Those who did not, demons and monsters. Yet both spoke as though they'd pierced the veil between this realm and that of the divine.

For them, it'd felt like an intrusion to step on soil so unmeant for man. For others, it confirmed what they already knew.

At a careful crawl, Kallen navigated through the turbulent and misty waters. She pulled her and Lelouch's boat into a secluded cove hidden by the surrounding cliffs. It led into a cave system with an exit not far from their ultimate destination. No one would find them there without intimate knowledge of the island and even then only after extensive searching.

The cove had no easy place to disembark, water meeting land at a rocky overhang that simply could not be scaled from below. But they were not the first ones here. Kallen identified a suitable place to moor their boat and then helped Lelouch jump from ship to ship until they reached the rope ladder leading up onto land.

Kallen sent Lelouch up first to be safe. When he reached the top, he accepted Shinobu's assistance to get over the ledge to safety. Once he had, she went up after him. They both offered her a hand and pulled her up over the edge as well.

"Welcome to the Island of God, Your Highnesses." As much as she tried to hide it, a wary edge had nonetheless infected Shinobu's voice.

Kallen had already known what the island's name meant but had neglected to inform Lelouch. "How appropriate," he said. "I'm inclined to treat the local folklore more literally than I typically would. Has anything unusual happened?"

"A few of us have been hearing voices recently. Whispers. Not often, but it's…unsettling." Obviously, Shinobu numbered amongst the ranks of those who had.

Kallen exchanged a look with Lelouch. She shook her head in answer to his wordless question. She'd not heard a thing. Not yet. "I think it would be best we not rely on my magic here," she suggested to which he immediately agreed. Perhaps they should have brought C.C. even at the risk of word of their expedition getting back to the emperor. Not that they could turn back now. Tonight was their only opportunity to explore the island personally without being missed.

"The ruins?" Lelouch asked.

"Only a short walk from here. Please follow me."

As they left the cove behind, the sound of crashing waves faded away. Soon only the dripping of water and the echoes of their uncertain steps remained. A chill grew in the air, something they should have expected and dressed for. Regardless, they pressed on with the occasional shiver.

A soft, green glow appeared not far ahead of their group. When they neared, Kallen realised the light came from some exotic material placed on the walls. The cave split into several directions where it laid. "If we get separated," Shinobu explained, "your torches will cause the markers to fluoresce. Follow them to move forward or return to the boats."

 _Directions only our people can easily utilise, eh?_ That sounded like a good idea. Kallen hoped it proved unnecessary.

The three continued their trek through the cave with Shinobu guiding their path. Between the low ceiling and the uneven footing, it took them far longer to traverse than it should have. Through the twists and turns, they eventually emerged outside onto the island proper. With no wind to blow it away, a light fog hug over the land.

" _Stop!"_

Kallen jumped in surprise. Her hand leapt to the hilt of her sword as she scanned the area for threats. Lelouch looked at her strangely while Shinobu wore and odd mixture of sympathy and unease.

Understanding dawned upon her without any relief. "Oh wow," Kallen said with a forced laugh. "You weren't kidding about the voices."

Shinobu said nothing while Lelouch frowned. He turned to gaze further into the island and the fog. After a few moments, he asked to borrow Kallen's parrying dagger. Bemused, she handed it over and watched him carve a series of random squiggles into the bark of a nearby tree. Once done, he traced a finger over the grooves with a satisfied nod.

He returned the dagger to Kallen and signed not to trust their ears but that their eyes and sense of touch – for the moment, at least – appeared fine. Their code language, something they'd never explicitly shared with anyone, wasn't easily faked. They could trust in that.

Seeing that Shinobu already understood the general gist of what Lelouch had said, Kallen nodded and signalled 'lost' and 'enemy' in return. He shrugged in answer to the question. Magic only worked on humans. That's why they'd sent in the drones first. They _should_ be alone. They _shouldn't_ have missed any potential hostiles during their initial inspection.

Not that such meant all was well. Perhaps the team in charge of combing the island had been infiltrated or otherwise compromised. They counted Anne as a friend, but no one had ever claimed her magic was unique. The enemy magic at work wouldn't even need to be puppetry. There were an infinite number of possible explanations when geass entered into the equation.

But then most of those explanations were unlikely. They'd taken no small measures to ensure this excursion went well. The simpler hypothesis might actually be more straightforward if somewhat dotty. They were, after all, approaching spooky, ancient magical ruins. They should expect spooky, magical things to happen.

Indeed, they hoped for it. In all honesty, that was the entire reason they were here. They already had video footage of the actual site and pictures of everything that mattered. They'd just expected _more_ than what they'd found. The emperor surely hadn't expended so much effort to bring the ruins, one after another, under Britannia's control for a mere few pages of text. The information could have been much more easily acquired through espionage.

"Shall we?" Kallen asked, and they set off.

As they climbed, the fog thinned. The forest tapered off into rugged slopes. Once they'd attained a high enough elevation, Kallen glanced back at the route they'd taken. It was just a sea of green and white, not a single landmark to be seen. Even after the sun burned away the mists, she doubted she could retrace her steps without relying on pure memorisation.

Up ahead, they ran into a group of Shinozaki who'd come to escort them the rest of the way. One of them, Kallen noticed, jumped in surprise as they walked. Her head moved in rapid, jerking bursts as she scanned the area before returning to rest with a quiet sigh.

They really were hearing voices. Kallen didn't know whether to count that as a promising sign of discovery or a bad omen.

"The entrance is just around the corner," Shinobu said, pointedly ignoring the incident.

Kaminejima was a volcanic island. Nothing underscored that quite as well as the entrance, if it could be called that, to the ruins. Made of plainly igneous rock, the ragged opening was wide enough for two knightmares to comfortably walk abreast through it. Whoever had constructed these ruins hadn't built them beneath the mountain. No, the volcano had buried them.

Yet despite the millennia, despite a million pounds of molten rock flowing over and hardening above it, despite rock slides, despite the rain, despite the wind, despite _everything_ , the ruins' basic structure stood immaculate. Not even a single blade of grass had split the stone in an attempt to grow. Only moss had found any purchase in this temple.

And a temple it was. The ruins reminded Kallen of the Parthenon but with walls. The massive columns supporting the ceiling definitely had a Greek influence despite being half the world away.

 _No. That's backwards._ It was a strange thought, but it had a ring of truth to it that Kallen couldn't deny. _Ancient Greece had a geass influence._

Illuminated at the far side of the temple was a raised dais with a set of five sizeable steps leading up from the ground floor centred at its front. Atop the platform sat a small square pyramid that rose no higher than Kallen's chest. Inscribed at its centroid, surrounded by as yet untranslated text, was the silhouette of a bird in flight, the symbol of geass. If that were not telling enough on its own, the original builders had also carved the pattern into the back wall of the temple largely and prominently to draw the eye. Within the confines of an ornately sectioned off rectangle, straight lines emerging outward from the symbol in an almost fractal pattern, splitting at sharp, precise angles. A set of four circles, one in each of the cardinal directions, embellished the design.

To Kallen, at least, that section of the wall gave her the distinct impression of a door. One nearly ten times her own height without hinges or gaps, certainly, but a door nonetheless. Not unlike the grand double doors one might find in the more ostentatious sections of the Imperial Palace, now that she thought about it.

Kallen took her first step into the temple proper.

"– _n't tou–"_

The second time wasn't as shocking as the first, but Kallen still found her hand halfway to her sword's hilt. She breathed a long sigh as she forcibly relaxed herself. _It wouldn't be so bad if the whispers at least came from_ somewhere _._ Like feeling with a fifth limb or seeing with a third eye, her brain didn't know how to properly process sound that had no origin point. The only other time she'd experienced such a phenomenon was when she'd contracted with C.C..

"Remarkable," Lelouch mused as they strolled toward the back of the temple. "Completely intact. Even if someone is maintaining it, there should be at least superficial damage. Signs of repair. Rediscovering this material could be more important than magic."

It certainly could be, but materials engineering was neither their field of expertise nor the reason they'd come here. Kallen ascended the steps to the dais with Lelouch following a half-step behind.

 _"–hear me?"_

Kallen paused when they reached the top of the steps and let Lelouch walk by her. He went to investigate the pyramid, eyes passing over the text as he circled it in curiosity. Upon reaching the reverse side, he looked up and noticed her dithering.

"I believe this is your show," said Lelouch. "You're the magical girl here."

"Hmph." Kallen would let that go for now. "You know those horror films where an archaeologist is excavating a mysterious ancient ruin despite all the signs that it's a _really bad idea_? And then the monster is unleashed when they touch something they shouldn't?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "If there were a big scary monster here, the emperor would have already let it out or posted a guard. Not sure which."

The entire situation felt wrong, but the logic felt right. Kallen doubted this was an elaborate trap to get them both killed. The emperor wouldn't need to set up some convoluted scheme if he wanted them dead. There hadn't even been a mild deterrent to coming here beyond the difficult terrain. _Maybe_ he needed a geass bearer to activate these ruins at some great personal cost, but if so, he had far more expendable options than herself, she was sure.

With a sigh, Kallen stepped forward. "If I unleash Yog-Sothoth, I'll make sure the entire world knows you're to blame."

"I accept your terms," Lelouch said, clearly humouring her.

"Right, then. Pyramid first, I guess."

Kallen reached out with a hand and placed her palm flat against the open space in the centre of the geass symbol on the stone. The entire pyramid immediately lit up in the same red colour as her geass, filling the temple with a warm glow. The pattern of lines on the wall behind it did the same.

And then the world fell away. For an instant, Kallen felt her mind brush against another's before it forcibly ejected her. Without that anchor, the current of power swept her away to a greater state of being. The universe itself whispered to her in a language of pure understanding too alien to put into words. As her consciousness spread, she felt it touch other minds. Entire beings laid open before her to explore. She only had to–

Without warning, Kallen abruptly fell back into herself with a gasp. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Following it back to its source, she saw Lelouch looking at her with worry in his eyes. She next saw that she'd been pulled away from the pyramid. "You weren't breathing," he explained.

"I–" Kallen didn't know how to put everything she'd just experienced into words all at once. She felt constrained working with nothing now but her tiny little human brain. "I don't–"

Lelouch led Kallen to sit against a nearby support beam, quietly telling her to just breathe and collect herself.

She did. After nearly a minute, she finally found the words to satisfy the _many_ curious ears around her. "It felt like when I contracted with C.C.. There was someone… I think it was someone very old and male. He kicked me out of his mind, and then I just…drifted. I… I don't know how to describe it. I – I touched the universe. And then I touched other minds. I don't know how many. More than one, but less than…a million." She didn't really have a better guess. "I don't know. I might have been able to tell you in the moment, but not now. I–" Once more she found herself faltering for words. "This island – I felt like a goddess."

"Island of God indeed," Lelouch mumbled. He went on to say, "I think you tried to intrude into my mind. I experienced something similar to when C.C. unsealed my memories."

Kallen didn't need a reminder on how unpleasant of an experience that had been. She looked from Lelouch to the gathering crowd. Most of them showed some signs of distress on their faces, although a few less so than others. When she noticed Shinobu numbered amongst the latter, she assumed those who'd been hearing voices were less affected. "What about all of you?"

A series of concurring opinions followed until no one had anything new to add.

Lelouch hummed to himself. "So distance matters." It seemed a fair conclusion. It wasn't as though Kallen had brushed against _every_ mind in the world, just all the ones nearby. "I wonder how far away people were affected. And how many explanations we're going to have to give." Everyone in the room had already been informed of the existence of magic, but there were more people currently on Kaminejima, and some of the nearby islands were none too distant either.

Having no clue how far her mind had reached, Kallen shrugged. Perhaps it would be best to simply inform the entire Shinozaki clan. It wasn't like they ever unintentionally leaked information. She just hoped she hadn't brushed against the mind of someone who would report to the emperor.

" _Run, you fool!"_

Kallen's eyes shot wide open. That message had come across not as a whisper but clearly and completely. She even recognised the mental voice. "We need to get out of here. _Now_."

Seeing the urgency in her eyes, Lelouch nodded and helped her to her feet. He gave the command for everyone to stand at the ready as they withdrew from the ruins as a group. "Please tell me we didn't actually awaken Yog-Sothoth."

Now recovered, Kallen unholstered her pistol and drew her sword. "Remember Anne told me C.C. had a telepathic link with Marianne?"

That was enough for Lelouch to fill in the blanks for himself. A muttered, "Fuck," escaped him as he drew his own gun. They climbed down the stairs together, and he asked, "Is she coming?"

"No idea."

An ominous red glow blazed behind them. Kallen's geass reacted immediately as did she naught but an instant later. She placed herself between the light and Lelouch before bodily leading him toward cover behind a column. _No warning. Assume an immortal is orchestrating this. Geass basically useless. Not good._ As she turned to face the threat, she scanned her allies. A couple still had eyes on the temple's entrance, but most were ready to act with her at her signal.

The red light faded away to reveal atop the dais two boys, one no older than ten dressed in regal clothes with a matching imperious air about him, the other perhaps fifteen in a simple beige shirt and black shorts. Both had a hand on the back wall that Kallen now felt confident naming as a portal of _some_ variety. The two were, if not unarmed, then at least not ready to fight.

Kallen stepped out and aimed to fire. "Don't make any sudden moves!"

The younger boy spoke, his voice dripping with delight. "Oh?" He ignored the warning and moved toward the stairs at a leisurely pace. "Or else what?"

"Or–" Kallen's brows furrowed in intense thought. It seemed a simple question. She should know the answer. Why didn't she know the answer? "Or you'll regret it," she bluffed.

"Ooh, how terrifying." The boy took his first step down the stairs. "But I believe I'll take my chances."

Lelouch drew in a tight breath. "I recognise him," he whispered. "He hasn't aged a day."

In the privacy of her own mind, Kallen swore in every language she knew.

Shinobu moved to stand in the boy's way. That proved to be a mistake. He withdrew a gun from his robes and shot her with a casual indifference. She crumpled to the ground without so much as a whimper.

Kallen's geass hadn't even warned her.

 _She's alive. She's alive. She has to be alive. Bullets aren't instantaneous. She's alive. She has to be._

But for how long?

Through clenched teeth, trembling and barely restraining herself even if she wasn't entirely sure what exactly she was restraining herself from, Kallen ordered everyone else to retreat back behind cover. She had no idea how to handle this situation, but she would resolve it herself.

Kallen glanced up and noticed the physically older boy typing on his phone. A few seconds later, reinforcements _teleported in_ and made a bad situation worse. There were now five additional people of varying ages but all dressed similarly to the boy standing atop the dais.

But nevermind them. Kallen had a more immediate problem. The youngest approached. "Hmm, now what should I do with you?" He looked her up and down with an evaluating eye too young to have more revolting intentions in mind. "I would certainly _love_ torturing a miniature Marianne to death, but seers are so terribly rare."

That might as well have been a signed confession. As she shifted to keep her enraged prince behind her lest he make this situation _even worse_ , Kallen could practically feel Lelouch's glare boring through her back. For lack of any better option, she decided to stall whatever was about to happen as long as possible. C.C. was coming to rescue them. Or so she hoped.

Kallen spat at the boy. "As if I would ever work for you."

"Charming." The boy shot her. To his visible displeasure, Kallen staggered in place, dropping her sword to put pressure on the abdominal wound, but remained standing. "If you want to live, move."

"What kind of wife would I be if I let my scrawny little husband face you himself," Kallen bit out. She laughed inwardly at the feeling of Lelouch's anger shifting onto her. _Good. The more annoyed he is with me, the cooler head he should have._ "Who even are you?"

"Your master or your executioner." He shot her again. This time Kallen wobbled in place unsteadily. Her knees shook. Adrenaline could only do so much. "Pick one."

From behind, Lelouch used his own knee to force Kallen's to bend. He caught her as she fell and deposited her on the ground. When he spoke, his voice was ice cold. "It's impolite to leave a lady's question unanswered."

"Ah, the whelp at last. With you in hand, perhaps now the bitch will behave."

A moment passed.

 _What? But we checked Marianne's…_ Kallen looked from the boy to Lelouch who obviously had come to the very same conclusion. _Then…he was right?_

The boy let out his cruel and mocking laughter. "You really didn't know, did you? Your mother gave you everything. Her home. Her wealth. Her connections. Protection. Freedom to marry. _Everything_." He paused, a smirk crawling up his face. "Except the truth."

A red glow drew Kallen's gaze to the back of the room. Another wave of five reinforcements appeared from nowhere. The one who'd arrived with the horrid boy who'd shot her hadn't moved. He merely stood in place and scanned the room. But the other five had set about disarming and doing who knew what to the Shinozaki. They'd shot the first who moved to act in the leg, after which Kallen had managed to signal them not to resist in the hope that C.C. could undo whatever befell them. She assumed all the newcomers were sorcerers. While Lelouch distracted the immortal, maybe she–

Without warning, all of the enemies sorcerers moved a few feet further along their paths in a blink. Except, of course, for the one boy at the back who'd still yet to move. For whatever reason, he seemed to have locked eyes with Kallen. The spell broke a moment later as he glanced down at the pile of weapons building up a few steps from him next to the portal. She blinked a few times and shook her head. _Must have blacked out for a moment there. That can't be good._

"–where you heard about Thought Elevators."

"As I said, from Father."

"Don't lie to me, you mongrel! Charles would never do that." Kallen didn't know what pissed the boy off more, the answer or the reminder that Lelouch was the emperor's son through Marianne. It seemed he had a sore spot that Lelouch had picked up on while she'd been out. "Hmph. Fine, I can be patient. We can do this after you've been reprogrammed into my slave."

The boy called over a trio of his reinforcements – slaves? – with one clear intent upon his mind. Was that what they'd been doing to the Shinozaki? Kallen's eyes snapped toward the few who'd already been 'processed'. They did look oddly docile. Her breathing grew shallow as she realised the boy had meant the decision he'd put before her earlier literally. He'd either kill her or remake her into his ensorcelled slave. That was a fate worse than death. She couldn't allow that to happen to her or Lelouch. How could she get out of this? She couldn't run with her wounds. Even if she could, the boy would just gun her down. But then maybe that was for the best. Go out in a blaze of glory. Better that than be twisted into a cruel parody of herself.

A shot rang out.

Silence fell. Then the immortal fell. Blood leaked out of the open wound on the back of his skull.

In the next moment, another shot fired. Kallen now recognised the source as the boy who'd not moved from the portal. He downed his own allies with precision according to a haphazard order only he seemed to know. When he ran out of ammo, he discarded one weapon and picked up another. Every second or third shot went to the immortal on the ground.

While this happened, another shooter joined him. This one came from the temple's entrance. When Kallen turned to look, she found C.C. moving in, never once firing at the same target as the other boy despite the utter lack of communication between the two.

In mere seconds, the spectacle ended. At last, the boy left his perch and approached. He descended the dais with a gun trained on the immortal only to stop halfway at a corpse. He kicked the body over, eliciting a low moan from it. Seemingly satisfied by that, he set his gun down, covered the not dead woman's right eye, and pried open the left. A moment later, he jumped as if startled.

And C.C. shot him in the head.

"What the fuck?" Kallen shouted, although in truth she more wheezed the words out. "He was helping us!"

"And now she is," C.C. replied.

Indeed, the woman who had been down and out fumbled about for the gun the other boy had placed on the ground. She found it whilst muttering a very colourful choice of words and clutching at a not yet lethal wound near her heart. And as might be expected from C.C.'s words, she shot the downed immortal again.

 _I… Okay._ Kallen had no idea what was going on, but whatever. _I guess that's as good a way as any to restrain an immortal._ She awkwardly slid herself along the ground until she could reach her sword. With that in hand once more, she stood ready to respond if necessary without wasting ammo.

And now that she thought of it, Kallen explicitly noticed that she _could_ respond now. She turned her eye from the immortal on the floor to the boy, now dead, who'd come in with him. _An anti-violence, AoE geass, I guess? That explains a lot._

All this seemed to snap Lelouch out of his own shock. He gestured to the woman on the stairs that he would happily take over her duty to shoot the little bastard at his feet every time the immortal so much as stirred. Even _if_ Marianne was alive, the boy had still taken her from the family for years. Indeed, it was his fault, if indirectly, that Kallen's own parents had died. She took her own perhaps unnecessary turn to stab him.

Meanwhile, without a word, C.C. set about gathering the Shinozaki who'd been ensorcelled and ultimately paraded them in front of the woman barely clinging to life. She, Kallen assumed, undid whatever sorcery had been placed upon them.

"Everyone," Lelouch began, "pack up and clear out. Shoot anything that comes through the gate. We're done here. Get Shinobu out first." He turned a questioning eye onto Kallen.

"I'll be fine until we get back so long as I get bandaged up."

With a nod, Lelouch called over their field medic to perform first aid. It didn't ease the pain much, but it did stop most of the bleeding.

"So this is what a deus ex machina feels like," Lelouch commented, earning a few strained smiles and a bit of weak laughter from those nearby. "I appreciate the rescue, but I'm not a fan of the suspense."

Another burst of gunfire filled the temple. The woman who'd switched sides fell limp to the ground and tumbled down the stairs.

"Sorry," Kallen said as an aside to Lelouch, "but I must be a little low on blood or something. Explain to me what's going on?"

Lelouch gestured to, if Kallen remembered correctly in her state, Shinjirō Shinozaki, who was occupied with stretching his body. "Our puppeteer."

"Oh." That explained very nearly everything. "Then he's – no, _she's_ –"

"Most likely." The strain of the day made itself known in Lelouch's voice as he stared at what was very possibly his mother.

"Hey." Kallen tugged on the leg of Lelouch's trousers until she got his attention back. "Help a princess to her feet?"

With one last glance at Anne in Shinjirō's body, Lelouch let out a long breath. He shot the immortal at his feet and then leaned down to help Kallen stand with an indulgent, "As you wish, Your Highness." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders once up and leaned more heavily on him than she would like to admit.

"So what about him?" Kallen went to kick the immortal bastard on the ground before she thought better of it. "If I've learnt anything from C.C., it's that you don't touch immortals without permission. How are we supposed to transport him?" She had a mind to skewer the runt and hope for the best, but that probably wouldn't work.

"You don't." Lelouch's eyes snapped up to Anne's as she approached with C.C., but Kallen kept hers squarely on the threat at their feet. "We're leaving him here."

Kallen felt Lelouch's body tense at the words. "And why should we?" he asked, a dangerous mix of emotions in his tone that even she had trouble deciphering.

"Because if we don't," Anne explained, "the entire Geass Order will abandon its plans to come after us. Revenge goes both ways, Lelouch, and you two are so far out of your league right now it terrifies me."

"But he–"

"–is not worth it," Anne interrupted. She and Lelouch descended into a staring match, sparks flying between them.

In the midst of this battle of titans which Kallen wanted no part of, she saw the subject of their debate twitch. So she stabbed him. That broke the contest of wills with Lelouch relenting.

"Yes, Mum."

Anne flinched at the tone but didn't deny it. Instead, she avoided Lelouch's eyes and turned to Kallen. "How are you holding up, Poppet?"

"Ah…" What was Kallen supposed to say in this sort of situation? "I've had worse?"

Marianne – it just had to be her – offered Kallen a wan smile in return. "I'll hitch a ride out with you then if you don't mind. If it gets to be too much or you need a break, let me know, and I'll take over."

"That's…fine with me," Kallen said. With her permission given, Anne's geass appeared in both of Shinjirō's eyes for a brief moment before fading away entirely. He stumbled in place once free and seemed entirely unaware of what had happened during his possession. On her end, she didn't feel any different.

" _Penny for your thoughts, Poppet."_

Ah, there she was. In hindsight, Kallen wasn't entirely sure how comfortable she was with having her mother-in-law in her head.

" _Relax. I'll teach you how to avoid projecting your thoughts to me on the way to the hospital."_

 _I'll hold you to that._

More curious than angry or happy at the moment, Lelouch twisted to look into Kallen's eyes. "Is she in there?"

"Yeah, she…" It registered to Kallen then that people had moved. And she'd already taken a couple dozen steps toward the exit. "Oh, I guess she already answered that." She hadn't even noticed Marianne taking over. She'd not even had the chance to resist. Magic was terrifying.

" _Which is exactly why you shouldn't have come here. I explicitly told you you're not ready to deal with V.V.."_

 _V.V., eh?_ Kallen doubted that was the immortal's real name anymore than C.C.'s was C.C.. And given how old she knew the latter to be, she had to wonder if the kid had copied C.C. in an attempt to make himself seem more adult or something.

" _Ha! Great minds think alike. I never got an answer. Even now, Charles doesn't like to rat out his brother."_

"Brother?" Kallen glanced back at the body they'd left – apparently now tied up upon her inspection – on the temple floor. "That kid is Lelouch's uncle?"

" _Officially, he never existed."_

At the same time, Lelouch said, "I imagined it would be something like that. It's obvious he and I are related. Mum–"

"No." Kallen put an immediate moratorium on that nonsense. "I – _we_ are not doing that. If you call me Mum, I swear I will buy a couch for you to sleep on for a month."

In her head, Kallen got nothing but uproarious laughter from Marianne. In the real world, Lelouch looked suitably chastised and nauseous when she glanced at his expression. They really needed to find someone else to put Marianne in before things got weird.

Well, weirder.

* * *

 **Philippine Sea  
** **October 2, 2017 a.t.b.**

Not long after they'd boarded their boat, Kallen had slipped into unconsciousness. With C.C. at the helm and perfectly capable of getting them back to Shikinejima, Lelouch thought it better to let her rest. Of course, that left him to deal with his mother in his wife's body. A light touch of disgust ran across his face at the thought. Perhaps this was why man had invented alcohol.

"If you're uncomfortable, I can jump to you instead," Marianne offered.

"Thank you for the offer, but that would only make me differently uncomfortable."

Marianne shrugged not at all the way Kallen did, but it was still her body performing the act. At times their movements matched almost perfectly. A result of similar comportment and training, Lelouch assumed. But he knew everything about how his wife moved, and this pale imitation unsettled him. It felt so wrong to see someone else jerking her around like a puppet so realistically at times before shattering the illusion with acts so utterly unfitting.

"I'm sorry," Marianne offered. "This isn't how I wanted you to find out."

"Stop." Marianne, visibly hurt, wilted, and that was not at all how Kallen made that expression. Lelouch looked away. "We're not having this conversation until you possess someone else."

Although obviously unhappy with the delay, Marianne said, "I understand."

Leaving her in suspense felt only fair after eight years of absence, but Lelouch couldn't find it in him not to clarify one thing. "I _am_ glad you're…alive." He idly noted that Marianne smiled the same way as Kallen before turning his attention elsewhere.

The silence quickly grew uncomfortable.

"I'm surprised you arrived in time to help us," Lelouch said to make conversation. "C.C. I can understand, but how did you get here?"

"C.C. contacted me, and I 'happened' to be near another Thought Elevator at the time. It was a close thing, but I managed to sneak in with one of the little troll's goons."

Lelouch heard those air quotes loud and clear but set that matter aside for the moment. Without asking, he knew something was very wrong in the relationship between the emperor, his mother, and his uncle. A lot of little clues over the years had fallen into place after today.

"What is a Thought Elevator?" From Kallen's description of her experience and the name, Lelouch could guess, but that didn't preclude asking for more information. Nor did his guess explain how a squad of sorcerers had teleported into the middle of his party.

Marianne gnawed on her – well, Kallen's lip. "Before I answer that, how did you really find out about them?"

"As I told V.V., the emperor."

"I see." Marianne didn't elaborate on that beyond stating, "I'll be having words with your father, then," not that she really needed to. It seemed perfectly in character for him to use them as bait for…whatever today had been. She should know that by now. "To answer your question precisely would require a deep dive into esoterica. If I'm to hazard an attempt at such, we should wait for Kallen. Speaking of–" She gave Lelouch a thumbs up and a smile which quickly turned strained. The sudden movement had agitated Kallen's wounds. "–I approve!"

Lelouch snorted. "I'm well aware."

"You two were so adorable together at your wedding. Oh, and the ceremony!"

For a minute or two, Lelouch tuned his mother out as she gushed over him and Kallen and how wonderfully everything had gone that day. After she'd gotten onto some tract about the wedding feast, expressing her lament about not getting to make a speech, an odd thought struck him. "You were there."

"Hmm? Oh, of course I was. Remember, I was there as–"

Lelouch cut Marianne off. "No. _You were there_."

Much of the exited energy left Marianne as she realised exactly what he meant. "Oh, Lelouch, I was there for everything. Sometimes I rode along with a maid. On occasion, I possessed one of your tutors when I felt you needed to learn something right. I've visited Nunnally and kept her company when I could. I even attended Kallen's knighting with your father. You're my children, and I love you. Not even death could keep me away."

Lelouch turned his gaze out to sea and blinked the wetness out of his eyes. "As I said, we're not having this conversation until you possess someone else."

"I understand," Lelouch heard, and this time the voice behind it didn't sound nearly so pained.

* * *

 **Shikinejima  
** **Philippine Sea  
** **October 2, 2017 a.t.b.**

"Smugglers, you say?" Lieutenant Colonel Fayer, the officer in charge of the garrison stationed at Shikinejima, stroked his full beard thoughtfully. "The viceroy did announce her intention to crack down on the Refrain trade a few months ago. It's been too long since I've been back to the mainland, but her policies must be working if the runners have been pushed out here."

The tale might not hold up under scrutiny if Lt Col Fayer wanted to cause trouble, but it would serve its purpose well enough for now. Lelouch had needed a good story to explain why his group had returned from an impromptu caving expedition with gunshot wounds on three separate people. One might have been an accident, but all three together? As if anyone would believe that. Thus smugglers.

"Unfortunately," Lelouch began, "they're probably long gone by now."

"Most likely. Still, I know the general feels strongly about the Refrain trade as well. I don't believe she'll mind if I alter our patrols to include Kaminejima."

While Lelouch suspected the man had more interest in scoring points with his sisters than actually dealing with the drug problems in the colony, he gave the man credit for the initiative. And with any luck, it'd irritate V.V. to have a bunch of mundies roaming around the island that he couldn't just get rid of without drawing attention.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't file the report until Kallen is back on her feet. Neither of us need three hysterical sisters taking the first flight down here."

Lt Col Fayer laughed. "So long as I'm allowed to quote you on that in the actual report. The general runs a tight ship."

"Of course. If Marrybell gives you any trouble, send her to me."

* * *

Jeremiah fell into step right behind his liege as Prince Lelouch left Lt Col Fayer's office. It was but a short walk to the military hospital housed in the adjacent building, this being a relatively small outpost in the area. He wasn't yet clear on the details, but he did know Shinobu was at death's door, Shinji had something wrong with his leg, and Her Highness had returned with multiple nonfatal gunshot wounds. It didn't help matters that the local surgeons had an obvious preference to treat the royal consort in excess over the nameless number.

Once inside the hospital, Prince Lelouch first demanded to know how Shinobu's treatment was progressing. Fortunately for the doctors, they'd gotten the message before and proceeded with all necessary procedures and so spared themselves his wrath. When they told him she had at best even odds of making it through the day, his hands curled into fists, but he said nothing. He merely delivered a tight nod and walked away. From his prince's reaction, Jeremiah suspected Shinobu was lucky to have even what chance she did. Or perhaps unlucky might fit better. A woman of her skill was hard to put down.

The pair exited the stairwell on the third floor and started down the corridor to Her Highness's ward. Or perhaps the entire floor might be more accurately described as her ward. The hospital here didn't see much use these days, so most of the rooms were empty. Their people had assumed guard duty, of course, and only the hospital staff had unfamiliar faces when they made their presence known.

Except for one obviously out of place woman of roughly Jeremiah's own age. She had long black hair, a slender frame, and wore a military uniform. When they approached, she twirled once in place with a cry of, "Tah-dah!"

Jeremiah felt he was missing some context, but the woman didn't appear to be a threat.

"An interesting introduction, Miss…"

The woman puffed her cheeks out, pouting with an almost comical childishness. "Honestly, Lelouch, can't you even recognise your own mother?"

 _His own mother?_ Jeremiah stepped forward ready to strike down this shameless impostor. "How dare you–"

His Highness spoke. "Relax, Jeremiah. It really is her."

"What?" Jeremiah looked between the two in shock. It was impossible, but he'd never known His Highness to jest about such things. _He must be under some sorcery._ "Impostor!" he called out as he drew his pistol. "Release His Highness from your enchantment."

Prince Lelouch placed a hand on Jeremiah's and wordlessly commanded him to lower his aim. "This is Anne the Puppeteer, short for Marianne. She's a ghost."

That…was actually an adequate explanation. His Highness must not be under any–

A moment passed as Jeremiah now understood who stood before him. The woman in question waved hello with a lighthearted smile. He stared at the gun in his hands with horror. What had he done!

Immediately, Jeremiah fell upon his knee in genuflection, head bowed. "Your Majesty, forgive me. I did not recognise you. I will accept any punishment you desire."

"Ah, Jeremiah. I see my son hasn't been able to break you of your eternal stuffiness. No matter. Thank you for looking after him for me for all these years."

"I – I am unworthy of such kind words."

"Nonsense. Your service has been exemplary."

Jeremiah lost his voice, unable to respond to such praise he'd not once dreamt of hearing since his great failure.

"Now please excuse us." Her Majesty linked arms with her son and pulled him toward Her Highness's room. "We're going to have a little family chat."

* * *

Although she refused to admit it, C.C.'s glare was starting to make Kallen feel like a kid who'd gotten herself into trouble doing something reckless and dangerous and needed her parents to bail her out. She was grateful for the rescue, of course, which was why she hadn't snapped at her witch yet, but how were they supposed to have known Lelouch's heretofore unknown uncle could drop a hostile force into their midst with bloody teleportation? That didn't even follow the established rules of magic!

Into the silence, Kallen blurted out the first question that came to mind. "Do you have a connection to the Thought Elevators?"

"Not this one." C.C. offered no reprieve despite deigning to answer the question.

Fumbling to fill the silence again, Kallen said, "Oh. Well, I only ask because when I first connected to it, I touched an _old_ mind. Not yours. It was male, I'm sure. But it felt, you know, heavy. Like yours."

C.C. said absolutely nothing, but she looked marginally more…not upset, exactly, but like Kallen had committed a faux pas by commenting on some chronic medical condition.

"Uh, so is that how you do what you do? I mean, if you have a connection to a Thought Elevator, well, when I was connected to it, it felt like I could do some of the things you do. Does one become immortal by forging a permanent connection to one?"

Only dead silence met Kallen's enquiries.

"So, ah, teleportation is a thing? I don't understand how that incorporates itself into the magic system we have, but then it's not like I understand how magic works well enough to judge. And your immortality is an anomaly as well, so it's not like there isn't precedent."

No response.

"I think I understand the emperor's endgame a little better now. Sort of. The more I learn about magic, the more incredible it all seems. It's criminal that we don't know how it works. We could do so much good with it if we did. And Anne – no, it's Marianne. Marianne suggested to me that even if the emperor is an unfeeling monster, his intentions can at least be bent to ethical ends. Of course, given that she loves the guy for reasons I'll never understand, she could be biased. Very much so."

 _Someone shoot me already._

Lelouch chose that exact moment to enter the room with, Kallen presumed, Marianne on his arm in the body of some random woman. She sent him a silent thank you with a promise to reward him for saving her once she'd healed. He took the free chair on the side of the bed opposite C.C. while Marianne pulled over another.

"How are you feeling?" Lelouch asked as he took Kallen's hand.

"Better than last time, but we won't be dancing anytime soon."

"The dance was never why I wanted you within these arms of mine. Rhythm for us is not in step or rhyme but in our beating hearts."

With a healthy pink glow about her cheeks, Kallen protested, "Not in front of your mother, love."

"No, don't mind me. Please do carry on. You two are so sweet together."

Kallen's flush deepened, but Lelouch seemed unaffected. "You need to stop taking hits for me." His grasp on her hand tightened. "You're the sword, not the shield."

"Swords break." It was an argument they'd had before on many occasions. Their marriage did change things, but Lelouch's life remained more important than Kallen's own. She turned her attention to their most unexpected guest to avoid clashing on the subject yet again. "Marianne, in all the excitement, I think I forgot to mention how happy I am you're, uh…"

"'Alive' will do just fine, Poppet. And if you're comfortable with it, how about we try 'Mum'."

"Maybe," Kallen demurred, a knot of conflicting feelings twisting about in her chest. She'd have to sort that out on her own time.

"Anyway, I hate to be insensitive, but V.V. is a twisted little prick. Considering where he shot you, I need to ask now before it might be too late." Marianne leaned in closer to Kallen's ear and lowered her voice to a whisper. "The doctors ensured I can still expect grandbabies, correct?"

For a moment, Kallen paled in shock. She hadn't even thought of that, but she really should have. "They said I would make a full recovery." And since an imperial consort's primary duty was to produce heirs, she expected she – or at least Lelouch – would have been told otherwise if not.

"Excellent! I'll await them eagerly, then."

Kallen awkwardly cleared her throat. That was still a few years off at least. Lelouch, she noticed, looked on curiously but without any real understanding of what had just transpired. Children weren't anymore at the forefront of his thoughts than they were of hers. "Perhaps we should move on?"

"Indeed," Lelouch said. "I'd like to know what happened the night you di – the night you were disembodied."

With a shrug, Marianne replied, "There's not much to tell, really. V.V. and I fought. I lost. Sayoko showed up in time for me to jump to her and escape. I'd had her tailing him for some time before then. We made our mutual threats to each other and then went on our way."

"I…see." Lelouch sounded almost disappointed at the simplicity. To be fair, Kallen shared the sentiment. Mystery always had an air of, well, mystique around it which truth so rarely shared. "What did you fight over?"

Marianne snorted this time. "For all his years, V.V. is still a bratty little child who loves his brother and doesn't want some woman to take him away."

 _Oh, fantastic. We're dealing with a yandere brocon._ Kallen took Marianne's explanation with a grain of salt, but that didn't necessarily make her description of the immortal child inaccurate.

"You cannot be serious," Lelouch said, appalled.

"This is why C.C. here doesn't contract with children without extenuating circumstances."

The woman in question glared at Marianne for some reason, but the latter just ignored her reaction. Lelouch, meanwhile, had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Anyway, V.V. destroyed my body beyond repair which left me with few options. Without the clout that came with my identity, I had to pass the torch on to Cornelia and Schneizel. I've since returned to my work as the thing that goes bump in the night."

"As an assassin," Lelouch stated more plainly.

Marianne, however, disagreed. "I prefer to think of myself as your father's problem solver. Besides, I don't actually kill as often as the reputation I garnered during the Emblem of Blood might lead you to believe."

"Recent purge of Area Eleven notwithstanding?" Kallen slyly asked.

"Yes, well," Marianne began, flustered at the blatant contradiction, "that was well deserved."

Kallen and Lelouch shared some light laughter over the reaction, and even Marianne cracked a smile in the end. It was so good to have a missing piece of their family back. Perhaps they would save all the heavy stuff and hashing out hurt feelings until tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N:** Unrelated to this story, but if you're in the market for more CG goodness, you may wish to check out another story I've started writing, _The Demon Who Lived_.

* * *

Behold! A shameless self-promotion! I have a Patrreon account under the username Forthwith if you want to support my writing in general.


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